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THE LEADERSHIP 

OF 

RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

A Consideration of the Organization and Conduct of 

Bible Study or Life Problem Groups 

in Army Camps 



/ 

HARRISON S. ELLIOTT 

Editorial Secretary, Association Press 




ASSOCIATION PRESS 

New York: 347 Madison Avenue 
1918 






Copyright, 1918, by 

sternational commi 

Young Men's Christian Associations 



The International Committee of 



V 



3 

Abb -6 Iyi8 



CONTENTS 

Introduction 1 

Introductory Discussion 4 

I. The Camp Problem 5 

II. The End and the Means 14 

III. The Approach 24 

IV. The Method 35 

V. Leading a Successful Discussion 49 

VI. Conducting a Leaders' Training Class 75 

VII. Choosing the Group Leaders 106 

VIII. Organizing Discussion Groups 112 

IX. Supervising Discussion Groups 119 

X. The Objective of the Discussion Group 125 



INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of these outline studies is to give the basis for 
a conference of Religious Work Secretaries, Building Secretaries, 
and others who are already at work in an army camp, or for such 
a conference of newly-appointed secretaries. The studies provide 
for an appraisal of the actual camp situation, with the needs and 
problems of the soldiers ; for the determination of the goal of the 
Association and the relation of the Bible study and life problem 
groups to the men's problems and the Association's goal ; for a 
consideration of the organization and supervision of a Bible study 
or life problem group program; and for the training of leaders. 

The studies are in no sense a manual of directions. There 
is no attempt to decide the final plans or to determine the solution 
of these problems. Each individual camp must meet its own situa- 
tion. The aim is to focus discussion upon the real questions and 
to give certain data which will be of help in the discussions. The 
best results will be obtained as secretaries talk and work through 
these problems together. This will also give unity to the Asso- 
ciation program in a building or a camp. 

The purpose will be defeated if the course is used as the basis 
for a series of lectures. The leader should be the presiding officer 
and contribute only his own proper share to the discussions. His 
business will be to state the problems ; to keep the discussions to 
the point; and to summarize the conclusions. The effectiveness 
of the discussion will be increased if he uses a blackboard, on 
which are written the chief ideas which are suggested. 

The course is planned in the conviction that the best way to 
learn to organize Bible study, to lead groups, and to train leaders 
is actually to work at the problem. General theoretical study of 
principles and methods of group leadership or of the directorship 
of leaders' training classes usually fails to connect adequately with 
the problems, because the leader is not actually in charge of his 
group and the director is not actually conducting a leaders' training 
class and therefore neither as yet feels the problem with sufficient 
keenness. A number of camps have made the mistake of spending 
five or six weeks training leaders in advance of giving them 
groups. By the time the training was completed the men were 
transferred to another camp. More than this, it was a less effec- 
tive method. 

One or two preliminary discussions on the whole viewpoint 

1 



2 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

and method in the discussion group and the leadership training 
class are necessary; but the working basis for the leadership of 
discussion groups and the directorship of leaders' training classes 
can better be developed in connection with actual consideration 
of lesson plans and leadership methods. For instance, if there is 
difficulty experienced in working out a usable point of contact, 
then is the time to assign special study and reading. If there is 
difficulty in phrasing questions and in understanding the type of 
topic which will stimulate discussion, just then, when the problem 
presses, is the time to give thorough consideration to the art of 
questioning. After there has been an actual attempt to conduct a 
leaders' training class is the time that suggestions and discussions 
will be most helpful. 

Therefore, results secured in this course will be in proportion 
to the extent to which those in the course give attention to the 
lesson assignments and particularly the practice work in outlining 
lessons, leading discussions, etc. Then, as the difficulties arise in 
this actual work together the problems can be met and skill secured. 

The author is under special obligation to the secretaries at 
Camp Dix and Camp Dodge. At Camp Dix, through the coopera- 
tion of Mr. Joseph T. Ailing, the Camp General Secretary, and 
Dr. Robert W. Veach, the Camp Religious Work Secretary, and 
the secretaries at the various buildings, the problems considered 
in these studies were discussed in daily conferences of secretaries 
and chaplains, and every facility also was given for gathering data 
regarding the commendable achievements of the camp in Bible 
study and discussion groups and the training of leaders. Especially 
are thanks for his cooperation due to Mr. C. H. Robinson of Build- 
ing No. 1, where the author lived while in camp. At Camp Dodge 
similar conferences were held through the cooperation of Mr. 
Fred Hansen, the Camp Secretary, and Mr. George Webber, 
the Camp Religious Work Director, and the men in the 
buildings ; and later the author was given the opportunity of 
actual work in this camp. A number of other camps were visited 
for consultation with the secretaries. In all these experiences 
there was" opportunity for numerous conferences with soldiers 
and for conducting both discussion groups and leaders' training 
classes. Naturally the author must assume full responsibility for 
his diagnosis of the religious educational needs in the camps. 

Because of the difficulties in more specific designation the term 
company is applied equally to battery, squadron, or company; and 



INTRODUCTION 3 

camp or army camp is employed as the general designation to cover 
National Army Cantonment, National Guard Camp, Regular Army 
Fort, and Aviation Field. 

HOW TO USE THE STUDIES 

Topics for Discussion are intended for actual round-table 
conferences. The Chairman of the conference should work over 
these in advance, selecting, revising, adding, as the particular needs 
of the members of the conference demand. Particular attention 
should be given to the practice work as suggested under these 
topics. 

Lesson Assignment for Next Conference is for the use of 
the members of the conference in preparation for the next dis- 
cussion. The director may wish to select certain sections of the 
new assignment as of special importance, or add other topics, in 
view of the particular needs of the members of the conference. 
It is essential that each member should prepare carefully every 
assignment of teaching outline or of teaching method. 

Reading References give valuable basic material from selected 
books on general and religious education. 

Notes furnish data and illustrative material both from the 
camps and from the field of education for use by the director and 
the members of the conference. These notes are in no sense a 
treatise upon the topics. So far as possible, the various viewpoints 
on the questions are frankly given. The studies are planned with 
the idea of the members of the conference reaching their own 
conclusions in open discussion. 



4 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION 

If this is a conference of men already engaged in Bible study 
or life problem group work, the following questions may well form 
the basis for an introductory meeting, so that the leaders may see 
where to focus emphasis in the studies to follow: 

1. What are your present plans of Bible and life problem 
study ? 

2. In what respect are you having the greatest success ? What 
are your biggest lacks or failures? 

3. Just what results have been achieved thus far? 

4. What are the chief difficulties you are having? What are 
your problems? What help do you need most? 

Assignment for Next Conference 
(Discussion I, The Camp Problem) 
Concretely, what are the chief needs and religious problems 
of the men in camp? What is the religious background and train- 
ing of these men? How do their problems compare with the 
same problems in civilian life? 

Reading References for Next Conference 
(Discussion I, The Camp Problem) 

Moore, ''What Is Education?" Chapter 1, What Is Education? 

Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach" : Chapter XI, The De- 
velopment of Moral Social Conduct. 

Coe, "A Social Theory of Religious Education": Chapter II, 
The Social Standpoint; Chapter IV, The Place of the 
Individual in Socialized Religion. 

Betts, "Social Principles of Education": Chapter II, The In- 
dividual and Society. 



DISCUSSION I 
THE CAMP PROBLEM 

Topics for Discussion 

The first step necessary in planning a religious work program 
for an army cantonment or camp, and particularly the Bible study 
or life problem group program, is to appraise the moral and re- 
ligious situation. The first conference, therefore, should be given 
to such a frank discussion. If the group is made up of secretaries 
already in army work, certainly there should be an exchange of 
actual experience and conviction. If the men in the conference 
have never had camp experience, then the director will need either 
himself to describe briefly an actual army camp situation or have 
some other person do so; and then throw the questions open for 
discussion. 

Remember that these topics are not for a lecture by the 
director. They are to be used as the basis for a frank round-table 
discussion. 

The effectiveness of the discussion will be increased if the 
director uses a blackboard and writes down the principal points 
as they are made. 

1. How does camp life compare with civilian life in its influ- 
ence on moral and Christian character ? 

a. Specifically in what ways is it harder to live straight and 
true to one's ideals in camp than in civilian life? In 
what ways is it easier? What factors in camp tend to 
conserve religion and what factors tend to break it 
down? (List these on the blackboard as suggested.) 

b. What are the chief personal problems of the men, both 
moral and religious ? What are the principal camp prob- 
lems? (List these on the blackboard.) 

c. What is the religious background of the men? Their 
earlier religious training? 

d. On the whole, are men more responsive to uplifting in- 
fluences in an army camp than in civil life? 

2. How difficult is it for an individual Christian soldier to 
live up to his convictions in an army camp? 

a. What is the effect of the drill and military discipline? 

5 



6 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

b. How difficult do a soldier's companions in the barracks 
make it for him ? 

c. What is the relation of the spirit of the company or 
battery and the moral atmosphere of the barracks to the 
moral and Christian character of the individual soldier? 

d. How far can an individual soldier live up to his con- 
victions against the group ? 

3. How is Christian morale in a company or barrack deter- 
mined ? 

a. What influence have the captain and other commissioned 
officers ? 

b. What is the relation of the chaplain to Christian morale? 

c. What place has the top sergeant? The other non-com- 
missioned officers ? 

d. How influential are the gamblers and swearers in the 
company? How do they make their influence felt? 

e. How powerful is an individual Christian in a company 
or barracks ? How can he make his influence effective ? 

f. What really determines the moral ideals and attitude of 
a company? the atmosphere of the barracks? How can 
a barrack or company ideal favorable to moral and re- 
ligious life be created? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion II, The End and the Means) 

In the light of the problems of the camp and the needs of the 
soldiers, what should be the Association program? 

1. What is the goal of Association work? 

2. In what ways do the various activities help in reaching 
this goal ? 

3. What can the Association do to affect barrack morale ? 

4. In what ways have you found that Bible classes or life 
problem groups help in reaching the goal? Would you 
include them in your program? Why or why not? 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion II, The End and the Means) 

Moore, "What Is Education?" Chapter IV, Education as a 
World Builder. 



THE CAMP PROBLEM 7 

Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach": Chapter I, The Work 

of the Teacher. 
Coe, "A Social Theory of Religious Education": Chapter V, 

The Aims of Christian Education. 
Betts, "Social Principles of Education" : Chapter III, Aim 

in Education. 

Notes on The Camp Problem 

(Discussion I) 

The men of the new army in the army cantonments find them- 
selves in an entirely new and strange situation. These men have 
come from all walks of life — from the farm,, from the professions, 
from business life. Some have lived in small towns and others in 
the bustling life of the big city. In the same barracks, sleeping 
bunk to bunk, will be found an illiterate laborer and a graduate 
from college and professional school. A boy from the farm who 
has never been to a city and a man out of a great manufacturing 
or business center will be drilling in the same squad. Catholic, 
Jew, and Protestant; men of moral and Christian character and 
those who are almost crooks and outlaws are all being trained 
together. 

All these men have been accustomed in civilian life to more 
or less independence and freedom. They now find themselves in a 
situation where they are continually under orders. They remain 
in detention, they are inoculated, they are assigned to heavy fatigue 
duty, they are put through the drill, all as the officers decide. Per- 
sonal convenience and pleasure and wish are subordinated to one 
purpose : making them over as rapidly as possible into a fighting 
unit which will act with prompt and skilful obedience. When the 
men have been drilled together for a short time and are all in 
uniform, it is difficult to believe that they were a few weeks before 
raw recruits in various types of attire and from many different 
walks of life. 

The army camp is, therefore, not in any sense a neutral factor. 
It has a positive and immediate effect on the life of the men. 

^E sfc ♦ ♦ ♦ 

The problem of an individual soldier is not an individual 
problem. Even in civilian life no young man lives without the 
influence of others upon him. But in civilian life, a person has 
much more opportunity to be alone and to determine the influences 
which shall be brought to bear upon him. He can choose his 







(c) Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

A Barrack Bunk Room 




(c) Brown Brothers, N. Y. 



Lined Up for Mess 



THE CAMP PROBLEM 9 

companions from among those who help rather than hinder. He 
can direct his life so that it will build up his character. 

In an army camp he does not choose his environment. He is 
thrust into a company and into a barracks. His individual likes 
and dislikes are subordinated to his organization and the wishes 
of his officers. He is seldom alone. He sleeps in a big bunk room 
with fifty or one hundred other men. He eats in the company 
mess hall. He is continually in the presence of others. He may 
be a man of the finest Christian character and in the next bunk 
there may be a swearing, gambling individual from the slums of 
the great city. The man who swears and uses vile talk makes 
himself heard in the entire bunkroom. The government is giving 
careful attention to the moral and physical well-being of the men, 
but this does not do away with the strong group influence wherever 
any number of men are associated continuously for work or 
training. 

More than this, a company spirit and barrack morale grow 
up. Sometimes the men in the barracks make life intolerable for 
the few who attempt to live up to their ideals ; in other units the 
barrack spirit is a constructive influence. In one barrack two 
men who tried to read their Testaments were actually abused by 
their fellows. On the other hand, in the same camp the units of 
an entire regiment maintained an atmosphere which tolerated no 
disrespect for the religious practice of individuals. 

A man of markedly strong Christian character, who was 
converted after he was grown up and had shown more genuine 
courage, than most Christians, was drafted at one of the camps. 
He was enrolled with the other new men in the Depot Brigade 
in the camp. He was placed in a company made up largely of 
non-Christian men. He had his bunk in the corner of the upper 
floor. Around him were a bunch of gamblers and rounders from 
one town. He could not locate in his bunkroom in the early days 
of his experience one who was willing to stand out for character 
and right things. He was in a very literal sense one against the 
group. He reported frankly that, while he held true, it was the 
hardest fight he had ever had. 

Thus it is seen that the religious problem is not an individual 
one. In some companies it is almost impossible for the individual 
Christian to stand against the group. In others the atmosphere, 
at least, is one in which religion and character are respected, if 
indeed the company spirit is not positively favorable to them. 
The government has worked continuously and efficiently for a 



10 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

wholesome environment for the men, both in and out of the camp. 
The YMCA army building is a positive factor to this end. But 
the question arises: How far does the Association's duty and 
opportunity include helping create a barrack and company at- 
mosphere favorable to moral and religious ideals? 

Several factors enter into the company spirit and the barrack 
morale. The attitude of the colonel of the regiment, and more 
particularly of the commissioned officers of the company or bat- 
tery, has much to do with the attitude of the men. The chaplain 
is closely related to the ideals of the regiment. The top sergeant 
is a most important person, standing as he does between the cap- 
tain and the men and directly in charge of the barracks. The 
influence of a group of strong privates in affecting both the habits 
of the men and the spirit of the company must not be forgotten. 

In a certain company, vile language and indecent stories in 
the mess hall during meals made life intolerable for a decent man. 
Finally, the mess sergeant blew his whistle and ordered the men 
to stop, saying that he furnished them clean food on clean tables, 
and the only thing which was not clean about the place was their 
vile talk. If they wanted to eat his food, they would have to cut 
this out. At the close of mess, fourteen men from the company 
gathered around him, saying they admired his nerve ; that they 
had wanted to do the same, but had not had the courage; and that 
they would be glad to join with him for clean speech in the bar- 
racks. In another barracks the men passed a rule that any person 
who swore was to be put into the cold shower, and they enforced 
this rough and rigid rule for the elimination of cussing. A single 
individual in a company may have a hard time against a group, 
but if a number join themselves together for the things that are 
right, as others are joining themselves for the things that are 
wrong, is it not possible to affect the morale of a company? 

afc a|c a|c afc a|c 

The following is an analysis of camp influence in its relation to 
the moral and religious life of the soldiers as suggested by re- 
ligious work secretaries and chaplains in open conferences at one 
of the national cantonments : 

I. Difficulties, or Unfavorable Factors 

1. Lack of uplifting home influence. 

2. Freedom from home restraint. 

3. Unnatural environment. 



THE CAMP PROBLEM 11 

4. Inability to choose companions. 

5. False ideas of army life. 

6. Lack of quiet time. 

7. Too much unoccupied time for new men. 

8. Strong influence of bad men. 

9. Lack of church influence. 

10. Transitory opportunity. 

11. Outside influences which degrade. 

12. Military uncertainty. 

13. Wide range of capacity of men. 

14. Unwillingness to give up small units of leisure time. 

II. Favorable Factors 

1. Army discipline — obedience. 

2. Army restrictive measures. 

3. Agencies at work to hold men. 

4. Unusual seriousness of men. 

5. Influence of chaplains. 

6. Work of camp pastors. 

7. Cooperation of officers. 

8. Recognized relation of character to military efficiency. 

9. Element of reality in life. 

III. Is Religious Work Easier Among Men in an Army Camp 

Than Among Civilians? 
Of fourteen men, twelve say "easier"; one makes a qualified 
reply; and one says "more difficult." 

f f f f ■? 

The following are two lists of the outstanding moral and re- 
ligious problems of men, as worked out by religious work secre- 
taries and chaplains in two of the national army cantonments : 

First list 
I. Principal Problems 

1. A total readjustment in thinking. 

2. Poor religious background. 

3. Gambling. 

4. Attitude of older soldiers toward religion. 

5. Women and obscenity. 

6. Despondency. 

7. Discontent. 

8. Increase in profanity. 



12 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

9. Difficulty of keeping up devotional life. 

10. Relation to moral tone of fighting and continued train- 
ing to kill. 

11. No individual thinking. 

II. Classification of Problems 

1. Moral problems: obscenity, women, gambling. 

2. Relation of Christianity to war : general moral let-down. 

3. Personal difficulties : poor religious background, de- 
spondency, lack of quiet time. 

4. Difficulties of belief. 

Second list 

I. Problems with Regard to the War 

1. Is this a just war? 

2. What are the aims of the war? 

3. Must a Christian lay aside his Christianity until the 
war is over ? 

II. Moral Temptations 

1. General tendency to let down and ask for more latitude 
because a soldier. 

2. Cussing. 

3. Gambling. 

4. Drinking. 

5. Impurity. 

III. Meaning of Religion 

1. What is it to be a Christian? 

2. What good does it do to pray? 

3. Why carry a Testament? 

4. Does a man live after death? 

5. How can I know there is a God, and that He will help 
a soldier ? 

The testimony differs as to the final influence of camp and 
army life. Some men have a conviction that the general tendency 
in the Army is to abandon ideals and let down standards, and that 
it is harder to live right than in civilian life. Others feel that the 
men in the army cantonments have a better chance to live right 
and true than at home. Dr. Luther Gulick says very frankly that, 
under the leadership of Gen. Pershing, with the cooperation of the 
Red Triangle, a man has better influences as a soldier in France 



THE CAMP PROBLEM 13 

than in the average American community; that we shall have to 
clean up in America in order to give the soldier when he conies 
home as good a chance as he has had. We have seen that in the 
American camps, both constructive and destructive influences are 
at work, and that camps and regiments and smaller units differ. 

Those in the training class in each camp must make a fearless 
and frank appraisal of the actual situation in their particular camp 
— factors favorable and factors unfavorable. It will be well to 
bring into counsel key soldiers who really know the situation. 
Don't allow yourself to be unduly pessimistic or optimistic; but 
actually know the facts. A genuine religious program that really 
meets the needs of the soldiers will not otherwise be possible. 



DISCUSSION II 
THE END AND THE MEANS 

Topics for Discussion 

1. How does the Association seek to meet the needs and 
problems of the men in camp? 

a. Just what and how much effect has the Association 
building in meeting these needs? The personal contact 
with the soldiers at the desk? 

b. How about the Association movie ? The social and phys- 
ical program? 

c. How large a factor in meeting these needs have been the 
personal talks with men by the secretaries ? Just what 
has been accomplished in this way? 

d. Why have the religious meetings been held? What re- 
lation have these had to the needs and problems of the 
men? 

e. Would you include Bible study or life problem groups in 
the program? Why, or why not? Concretely, in what 
ways have you found that these classes or groups help? 
What effect do they have upon the life of the men? 

2. What does the Association seek to accomplish by its pro- 
gram ? 

a. What responsibility does the Association assume for 
holding men true to home ideals and the home church? 
For building up Christian character ? 

b. What is its relation to the winning of the war ? 

c. What is the purpose of the social, entertainment, and 
recreative program of the Association? 

d. How much responsibility does the Association assume 
for winning men one by one to loyalty to Jesus Christ? 

e. What responsibility does the Association assume for 
creating a company spirit and a barrack morale favor- 
able to moral and religious ideals ? 

f. Just what is the goal of the Christian Association pro- 
gram in camp ? 

g. By the test of experience, in reaching this goal, what 
activities are most important? What might be elim- 
inated? 

14 



16 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

3. What activities can the Association carry on in a barracks 
to affect the Christian morale ? 

a. What can be clone in social and recreational lines? 

b. What effect on barrack spirit have educational classes 
in English or French ? 

c. What are the possibilities of the barrack meeting? 

d. In what ways will a Bible or life problem group in a bar- 
racks help individual men? Affect the barrack morale? 

4. What are the possibilities of a company council or ''Com- 
rades in Service" ? 

a. What officers should such an organization have? 

b. What is the relation of the activities suggested under 
3 to such a company or barrack council ? 

c. What should be the relation of such an organization to 
the chaplain? To the VAICA Secretary? 

5. What would you seek to accomplish by a Bible study or 
life problem group program? 

Assignment for Next Conference 
(Discussion III, The Approach) 
Think of a group of men in your own company or barrack 
or in your camp. Take some concrete problem of the men, such 
as temptation, or a Christian's relation to fighting, or some con- 
crete moral problem, such as gambling or swearing. Just how 
•would you suggest that these be handled in a Bible study or life 
problem group? 

Write out briefly your suggestions on the following points: 

1. What is there in the life of the men which makes you 
feel that this would be a good problem for discussion? 
Why would, or would not. this topic capture the interest 
of the men and meet their real need? Just what is the 
problem of the men along this line? (State it concretely 
in two or three brief sentences. ) 

2. Just what result would you seek to accomplish in the 
class or group ? 

3. What are the two or three ideas you would like the men 
to carry away — ideas which would lead to the purpose 
for the group which you had in mind? 

4. How would you handle the topic? Would you discuss 
the problem direct without use of the Bible or use only 



THE END AND THE MEANS 17 

Scripture incidentally? Or would you study a Bible 
passage or a series of Bible passages, hoping that the 
general influence of the Bible would be helpful in solv- 
ing the problem? Or would you focus attention on the 
problem and use the Scriptures directly in helping men 
solve the problem and in meeting their needs? If you 
were using Bible material, just what would you select 
and how would you handle it? 

5. Suppose the group were not interested, how would you 
open the lesson so as to capture their interest and so 
that they would desire to stay for the group hour ? 
You will find in one or more of the five books mentioned be- 
low lessons on the various topics or lines of study suggested above 
You may care to examine these as illustrating the different ap- 
proaches to the handling of the subject and will want to record 
your criticisms and suggestions on each approach. 

a. Temptation 

Fosdick, "The Manhood of the Master," Chapter VII. 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter V. 
Bosworth, "About Jesus," Study III. 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," ' Study III 

b. The Christian's Relation to War 

Fosdick, "The Manhood of the Master," Chapter III. 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapters I, II, and VII] 
Bosworth, "About Jesus," Study VII. 
Super-Urice, "Jesus as a Friend Saw Him," Study VIII 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study II. 

c. Gambling 

Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter IV. 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study VIII 

d. Szvearing 

Bosworth, "About Jesus," Study VII. 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter V. 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study VI. 

e. Impurity 

Super-Urice, "Jesus as a Friend Saw Him," Study X. 
Bosworth, "About Jesus," Study VI. 



Prepared for men of the Navy, and Navy terminology is used throughout. 



18 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter V. 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study V. 

f. The Christian and His Comrades 

Super-Urice, "Jesus as a Friend Saw Him," Studies III 

andV. 

Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter VII. 

Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study XL 

g. Relation to Enemies 

Bosworth, "About Jesus," Study VII. 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," Chapter VIII. 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way," Study VII. 

Reading References for Next Conference 
(Discussion III, The Approach) 

Moore, "What Is Education?" Chapter II, What Is Knowl- 
edge; Chapter VIII, Learning by Problem Getting. 

Home, "The Leadership of Bible Study Groups," pages 21 
to 30. 

Dewey, "How We Think" : Chapter VI, The Analysis of a 
Complete Act of Thought. 

Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher" : Lesson XIV, The 
Plan and the Lesson. 

Coe, "A Social Theory of Religious Education" : Chapter 
VII, The Educative Process in Religious Experience. 

If time permits, read DuBois, "The Point of Contact in 
Teaching." 

Notes on The End and the Means 
(Discussion II) 

1. The first essential to the success of the secretary in an 
army camp is that he shall open-mindedly study and come to under- 
stand the army camp situation. This was the purpose of Discus- 
sion I. Any religious worker, for instance, who says, "Men are 
alike wherever you find them"; and simply attempts to carry over 
into his new experience the methods he has used in other work, 
will find himself a failure. An army camp is not an ordinary 
community ; and the men in the camp are not living under the 
conditions of the ordinary life of the city or country. Only as 
the secretary comes to see life as the soldiers see it; only as he 



THE END AND THE MEANS 19 

feels with the soldier the problems he is facing, can he really make 
a success. 

A secretary must know not only camp life in general ; he must 
be acquainted zvith the factors in his own camp. No two situations 
are exactly alike. Some camps are practically a part of a big city; 
others are more nearly isolated. The actual moral conditions and 
the city influences differ from camp to camp. The first essential 
to achievement, therefore, is a genuine understanding of the camp 
life and a fair appraisal of the actual camp situation. 

2. The secretary, if he is to make a success of his work, must 
understand the reason why the Association is in an army camp. 
What is the goal of Christian Association work? Is its purpose 
simply to conduct a series of activities, meeting the need for writ- 
ing paper, postal facilities and entertainments ; teaching classes, 
directing recreation and conducting religious meetings ? Or are 
these activities simply necessary means toward the larger goal ? 

Just what is the fundamental purpose of the Association? 
What is its relation to the main purpose of the camp, namely, the 
training of these men to be effective soldiers in the shortest time 
possible ? Why does the Association have a cheery building center 
and run movies and entertainments? Why are lectures given on 
the background of the war? Why does it conduct educational 
classes and religious work? What is the conviction of the Asso- 
ciation as to the relation of clean, true character to the effective- 
ness of a fighting man? How far does the Association hold itself 
responsible for a company spirit and a barrack atmosphere which 
stands against gambling and bad language and all things that 
undercut a soldier's efficiency and in which individual character 
and personal religion are respected and can be developed; a com- 
pany spirit which says, "Every man up to his best every minute 
as a part of a fighting force" ? Just what actually is the relation 
of the Association work to the morale of the army? How far 
does it hold itself responsible for the moral and Christian char- 
acter, not only of individual soldiers, but also of the regiment and 
the division? The second factor necessary, therefore, is to deter- 
mine the goal or purpose, because the activities are determined 
by the needs of the men and the goal to be reached. 

3. The third essential relates more particularly to the religious 
emphasis. The secretaries, however designated, must recognize 
the essential oneness of the entire Association work in view of 
its single object, and the fundamental interrelation of all activities. 



20 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

It is incorrect to say that there are activities which are religious, 
others which are not; certain which are educational and others 
which are only religious. The Association is distinctly a part 
of the training camp. It is cooperating with the government in 
the training of an army which will be worthy, both in the life of 
the individual soldier and in the morale of the company or bat- 
tery, of the best ideals of the homes, the churches, and the national 
life of America; an army which will worthily and effectively rep- 
resent us in France and which will come back to take its place in 
American life again as a clean and constructive force. For such 
a task religion is not a separate department or a specialized 
function. The fundamental motive is genuinely religious, whether 
we meet the elemental human needs of the men by supplying writ- 
ing paper and stamps and mailing packages; whether we are pro- 
viding entertainment and recreation, and training men through 
education, or are helping them meet their moral and religious 
problems through religious meetings and Bible study groups. 
Every factor which helps the soldier's morals and morale, which 
keeps him true to the home ideals, and which makes him a clean, 
moral soldier is of the very essence of religion. Every factor 
which helps create a company spirit that is fine and moral and 
wholesome, and which sends these organizations to France with 
a determination always to be in the fight because every man is 
morally fit is genuinely religious. It is necessary for the secre- 
taries to determine the relation of each activity to a fundamentally 
religious goal, and to test the validity of all activities by this goal. 

4. It is necessary, if the secretary is to be a success, for him 
to flunk carefully in regard to the basic plans for what is technically 
called "religious ivork." Men must meet their moral and religious 
problems and face their temptations with the direct help of God 
in their lives. They must be held true to their home ideals and 
built up in moral and Christian character. If not religious men, 
they must be challenged to enlist definitely for Jesus Christ and 
His program and realize the relation of this enlistment to the 
great national cause. They must join together against the things 
that are wrong in the life of the barracks and the company and 
in support of the things which are true and right. Just what 
should constitute this direct religious program? What should be 
its relation to the other activities and the relation of the other 
activities to it? This must be thought through carefully. 

5. In view of the particular purpose of this course to deter- 



THE END AND THE MEANS 21 

mine just what should be planned in Bible study and life problem 
groups and hozv these can be successfully organised and conducted, 
secretaries in these conferences should give special attention to 
the place and purpose of such classes. Why are they organized? 
Just what do they accomplish in relation to the goal of the Asso- 
ciation? 

Another question must be decided : What should be the direct 
relation of the Association secretaries to the barracks and to bar- 
rack life or to the tents and tent life? 

The Association has in each camp a service building for at 
least every brigade. It is planned for educational and recreational 
features ; for movies, and entertainments ; to serve the men with 
writing paper and postal facilities ; to give a social center with 
something of a home atmosphere ; to furnish a place where men 
may meet their relatives and friends who visit the camp ; to give 
facilities for personal conference, Bible classes, and religious meet- 
ings — in short, to be an all-round center for the men. The oppor- 
tunity to meet the soldiers in a friendly way at the desk and in the 
social room and the importance of all these features cannot be too 
strongly emphasized. If this building is handled effectively, it is a 
genuine factor in the life of the regiment. 

Just how far should the Association program be confined to 
this building, just how much should be carried on in the barracks? 
What is the relation of the Association building to the barrack 
life? Some leaders feel that men should be brought away from 
the barracks and, therefore, the entire program should center in 
the Y M C A building. Others call attention to the limitations in 
attempting to handle all the work in this way. The building is not 
able to accommodate at once any large proportion of the men 
served by a unit. Further, the men live in the barracks. There 
they meet discouragement and temptation and have to make their 
fight for right against wrong. There they find either a bad barrack 
influence or a wholesome, healthy barrack spirit. The company or 
battery is itself a unit, and has an organization pride and spirit. 
In view of these factors, many feel that the Association is not 
fair to the men, is not doing its real job, unless it does help in 
the barracks, and that the outgrowth of these barrack activities 
should be a company or battery council or "Comrades in Service." 
One entire cantonment was forced into such a barrack program by 
a camp-wide quarantine. Others have come to a conviction in 
regard to its importance through the work during the two weeks 



22 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

of detention for new men. In one field artillery regiment in a 
certain camp, every battery has a battery council with president 
and other officers, a discussion group, committee on books and 
hospital visitation, etc. This is really a battery Y M C A. In 
certain organizations, various activities are carried on through a 
similar company organization, including recreation, educational 
classes, discussion groups, etc. In such a plan, various barrack 
activities form the first step; then a company or battery council; 
and then, if the time permits, follows the outgrowth of this into 
a regimental council, made up of the officers of the various com- 
pany or battery organizations. 



If the Association is to conduct work both in the buildings 
and in the barracks, then several other factors should be consid- 
ered. What is the proper relation of such work to the colonel, to 
the captains, to the top sergeant? What is its relation to the 
chaplain of the regiment? Just how does the work in the barracks 
correlate with the activity in the building? In all this planning, 
the Association must recognize that the primary interest of the 
Government and of the officers is to train men to win the war. We 
are in a military camp, where all activities must be carried on in 
relation to the military authorities. This includes clearing all 
barrack programs with the officers of the regiment and the com- 
pany, and cooperating heartily with the chaplain in his official 
relation to the regiment. If a barrack program makes for clean 
living, better morale, and finer spirit, then the military authorities 

will welcome it. 

$ $ $ $ $ 

The real question is whether the goal of the Association is to 
reach individual men or whether there must be added to this goal, 
transforming the ideals and spirit of the company, the life and 
atmosphere of the barracks. Some secretaries have the convic- 
tion that a barrack, a company, a battery, or a regiment can be 
reached for moral and Christian living even more rapidly than is 
represented in the winning of individual men. If twenty-five per 
cent of the men in the barracks are professing Christians, they 
say it may mean that the barracks is much more than twenty-five 
per cent Christian in its atmosphere and influence, provided this 
percentage have committed themselves really to Christian living; 
provided they represent men of influence in the barracks ; and 
provided they stand together for clean living. 



THE END AND THE MEANS 23 

This also increases rather than lessens the importance of per- 
sonal work. Instead of attempting to reach men indiscriminately, 
the secretary will seek to win the key men, in the barracks, who 
in turn can be organized to win their fellows and work together 
for a changed barrack community. 

With such a conception, the goal of the Association would 
be to dominate the standards and ideals of an entire company, and 
indeed, an entire army camp ; and the means would be personal 
work, religious meetings, and particularly groups within the or- 
ganizations. Through these means, the Association would seek to 
win individuals and help them meet their most insistent moral and 
religious problems and to band them together in a positive influence 
for moral and religfious ideals. 



DISCUSSION III 
THE APPROACH 
Topics for Discussion 

1. Who are in your group or company or regiment? How 
much must the leader know about his group? 

2. Take the topic Temptation (or whatever other topic was 
given in the new lesson assignment, see page 16), and decide 
how you would handle this topic in a Bible or life problem group. 

a. The Problem. Locate specifically the problem of the 
men in the group with reference to the study under con- 
sideration. What is there in the life of the camp that 
makes this a real problem ? Where does it take hold the 
hardest? Just what is the need of the men? (As the 
conference makes suggestions, let the director write them 
on the board, erase, revise, and combine until in brief 
and concise form the conference has worked out a state- 
ment which locates the problem specifically.) 

b. The Purpose. What would you wish to accomplish by 
the study? What would be your goal or purpose ? (Fol- 
low the same plan of writing down the suggestions, re- 
vising, and combining, until the conference has worked 
out a single clear statement of goal.) 

c. The Main Points and Significant Scripture. In such a 
study would you make use of Scripture references? If 
not, why not? If so, what Scripture? Why do you 
choose it? How would you handle it? Would you seek 
a direct study of the Scripture, depending upon its gen- 
eral influence, or would you use the Scripture more 
directly in reference to the problem? What would be 
the two or three main points? (Write each point sug- 
gested on the board, ruling out only those not pertaining 
to the topic or goal. This may result in ten or twelve 
suggested points being written on the board. These 
can then be combined, eliminated, and shortened, until 
two or three points are agreed upon by the conference.) 

d. The Application. Where do you think this study is most 
applicable to the needs of the soldiers and most signifi- 

24 



THE APPROACH 25 

cant in their lives? What would be your application? 
(Let the director write the suggestions on the board.) 

e. The Point of Contact. How would you arouse the in- 
terest of the group at the opening of the study? What 
would be the point of contact which would capture the 
attention and focus the discussion on the real issues the 
men are facing and lead from the soldier's present inter- 
est and problem to the main points of the study? (Write 
on the board.) 

At the close of the hour there should have resulted from this 
discussion a definite outline, showing how the class would approach 
a definite soldier problem through a Bible study or life problem 
group. This outline would include the location of the problem, 
statement of the goal, two or three main points, the application, 
and an introduction or point of contact. In preparing an outline, 
it will be found preferable to follow this order, even though in 
actual use the location of the problem and the goal would be for 
the leader alone, and he would open his study with the point of 
contact, leading up to the main points and closing with the 
application. 

Assignment for Next Conference 
(Discussion IV, The Method) 

Now that a definite teaching outline with Purpose, Point of 
Contact, Main Points, and Application has been worked out, the 
next problem is this: How to use this outline as the basis for a 
Bible study or life problem group. 

The outline might be made the basis for a practical talk, the 
leader taking the entire time or leaving a short period at the close 
of his talk for questions from the group ; or for a discussion by 
the group. 

1. If you were using this outline in a Bible study or life 
problem group, which method would you use, the practical talk 
or the discussion? 

2. If a practical talk, why do you choose this method? How 
would you handle the outline ? What result would you expect to 
see accomplished by the session? 

3. If a discussion by the group, why do you choose this 
method? How would you secure discussion? If by the use of 
questions or topics, actually phrase these. Describe carefully how 



26 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

you would conduct the class. What results would you expect to 
have come from the discussion? 

4. What is the test of the success of a Bible study group? 
When do you consider a Bible study or life problem group hour 
has been a success ? 

5. Examine and criticize the outlines and questions under the 
Notes, pages 39-44. Which do you consider most useful for sol- 
diers? Why? What are your criticisms and suggestions? 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion IV, The Method) 
Moore, "What Is Education?" Chapter VII, The Place of 

Method in Education. 
Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach," Chapter XIII, Types 

of Classroom Exercises. 
Home, "The Leadership of Bible Study Groups," Chapter IV, 

The Art of Leading the Group. 
Home, "Story Telling, Questioning, and Studying," Chapter 

II, The Art of Questioning. 
Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher." Lesson X, On the 

Will; Lesson XIII, Methods of Teaching; Lesson XVIII, 

Questions. 
Stevens, "Question as a Measure of Efficiency in Instruction," 

gives an extended discussion of the place of questioning 

in education and contains stenographic reports of sample 

lessons. 

Notes on The Approach 
(Discussion III) 

This lesson should bring out the actual approach in facing 
personal problems and using the Bible in study groups. In prep- 
aration for a talk or a life problem group, a successful teacher 
or speaker will necessarily go through some such process as is 
indicated under Topics for Discussion (see page 24). He will 
need to decide : 

1. Just what is the need or problem of the men? What topic 
or line of study will help meet this need? 

2. Just what do I want to accomplish? 

3. What points do I want to make? What Scripture shall I 
use? How shall I handle it? 



THE APPROACH 27 

4-. Where is this most significant to the men? Do I want to 
make a specific application or depend upon the general in- 
fluence of the lesson? 

5. How can I capture the interest of the group? What shall 
he my introduction? 

The conference may find it useful to note and criticize the 
following outlines on Temptation. Most of these were actually 
worked out by leaders' training classes for soldier groups, and 
illustrate different methods of approach. They are illustrative only 
and in no sense furnished as models. 

I. The first takes Jesus' temptations and seeks to make them 
real, in this way hoping indirectly to help the men meet temptation. 

Purpose. To lead men to see the reality of Jesus' temptations 

and how he conquered. 
Main Points. Jesus was tempted to sacrifice his ideals in the 

baptism for present advantage. 

a. To sacrifice the spiritual ideal for immediate comfort. 

b. To yield to the popular demand at the sacrifice of the 
greater good. 

c. To yield to the political ambitions of his people at the 
sacrifice of his own standards. 

Application. The secret of Jesus' victory. 

a. Loyalty to his bigger ideal and a great life purpose. 

b. Relationship to God. 

Point of Contact. Was Jesus really tempted? 

II. The second outline seeks to ally the soldier with Jesus 
in a great experience. 

Purpose. To lead the soldiers to feel that they can depend 
upon the friendship of Jesus in meeting the severe tempta- 
tions that come to them as they enter upon their sacrificial 
career for the nation and the world, because Jesus met and 
conquered greater temptations as he entered upon his heroic 
life for the world. 

Main Points. 1. Jesus listened to the great call of John, and 
in his baptism committed himself to the national hope of his 
people, the Kingdom of God. 

2. In leaving his business as a carpenter and entering 
upon this great work, he faced three severe issues in choos- 



28 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

ing between a life of ease and popularity as the people's 
hero and one of sacrifice and suffering and death for the 
greater ideal. 

a. He was tempted to satisfy physical hunger and bring 
material content, without reference to its future effect 
upon him and the nation. 

b. He was tempted to fulfill the popular expectation of a 
spectacular leader and become the popular hero of the 
people. 

c. He was tempted to yield to the narrow and selfish po- 
litical ambitions of his people and become a military 
leader, when military leadership was linked with selfish 
power. 

3. These temptations were as real as ours, and the very 
power of Jesus made them more severe than any temptations 
we know. He was victorious, not because he could not sin, 
but because he knew the secret of conquering. 

Application. 1. How we conquer. 

2. The character results of conquering: nobility of char- 
acter (goodness is not untried innocence, but victorious 
virtue). 

Point of Contact. Jesus' call in the baptism. 

III. In this outline the approach is from the problem of 
temptation, but Jesus' temptations are used as the helpful material, 
and a large part of the discussion is focused upon them. 

Purpose. To inspire the soldiers to conquer temptation like 
strong men and as Jesus did. 

Main Points. 1. Temptation comes because we are men and 
have the power of choice. 

a. The stronger the man the more severely he is tested. 

b. Typical character of Jesus' temptations and their 
severity because of his great power. "J esus was 
tempted in all points like as we are and yet we shall 
never be tempted as he was." His temptations were 
typical of ordinary men's : 

(1) Physical. 

(2) To listen to popular clamor and make a grand- 
stand play. 



THE APPROACH 29 

(3) To sell out to the boss who said he controlled the 
world and would give him anything he wanted 
2. The man of strength is such not because he has not 
been tempted, but because he has won. 

a. A quitter gives up and goes the easy road. 

b. The strong man wins and becomes strong by winning. 

c. Jesus had wonderful character because he had learned 
how to conquer. 

Application. The secret of conquering. 

1. Obey simple laws of common sense and psychology. 

Break with it absolutely; put in every positive influ- 
ence on the other side ; associate with good people ; keep 
time filled with good influences; bring a new motive 
power into the life through friendship. 

2. Conquer as Jesus did. He had a great cause to which 
he committed his life; he knew the power of his Father 
in his life. 

Point of Contact. Intimate exchange of new temptations and 
testings as a soldier. In what ways is it harder to do what 
we know is right and to live up to our ideals in camp than 
it was in civilian life? 

IV. The fourth outline deals more specifically with the topic 
Temptation and brings in the biblical material incidentally. 

Purpose. To give men the motive and the help to overcome 

the temptations most insistent in camp. 
Main Points. 1. Why resist temptation? 

a. In justice to the nation and the war. 

b. In justice to home and friends. 

c. In justice to self. 

2. Result of overcoming. 

a. Temptation conquered. 

b. Strong man. 

c. Jesus' strength not because untempted, but because he 
learned how to conquer. 

Application. How overcome temptation? 

a. Practical suggestions. 

b. The way pals help and hinder. 

c. The way Jesus and prayer help. 

Point of Contact. Most insistent temptations of men in camp. 



30 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

V. This outline brings in the Christian message incidentally, 
and makes practically no use of the Bible. 

Purpose. To make the soldiers feel the necessity of winning 

and to show them how to win. 
Main Points. 1. The seriousness of playing with temptation. 

2. The necessity of winning. 
Application. How to overcome temptation. 

1. A firm determination. 

2. Choice of companions. 

3. Thought of those who are left behind. 

4. Help of God. 

Point of Contact. Take a specific temptation, such as booze 
or cussing, and ask what a fellow gets out of booze. 



This study, and the illustrative outlines given, throw in relief 
three types of approach : 

1. Some prefer a systematic Bible lesson 

They say that the Bible has proved in the experience of the 
race the unrivalled instrument for the development of moral and 
religious character. A knowledge of this book is essential to a 
life of strong, virile character. Particularly is this true of the life 
of Jesus Christ. Therefore, nothing better can be done than to 
teach the Bible to these men, many of whom know little about it 
and all of whom are facing the greatest testings of their lives. No 
specific application is necessary. They feel that if the Bible is 
made to live, the application will come indirectly and incidentally, 
and its influence will be felt in the lives of the men. We can 
depend upon the general spirit and influence of the life of Jesus 
to have its effect. 

2. Others prefer simply to arouse discussion of the problem, mak- 

ing no direct attempt to use the Bible 

They say the men cannot be reached, at least in the barracks, 
for direct Bible study groups, and we have them for so short a 
time that they are best helped by discussions of problems. The 
focus of attention should be on the problem and how to meet it. 
If the biblical material comes in incidentally and naturally, as in 
the fourth outline, or the Christian motive, as in the fifth outline, 
well and good. They feel that the purpose of a life problem group 



THE APPROACH 31 

has been reached if a discussion has been aroused and men are 
started to think. 

3. Those who take the third position say that they unite these tzvo 

They are quite as much interested in the problems of the men, 
but they feel that the Bible should be used specifically in helping 
the men to meet these problems. They want to help the men, not 
by the general influence of the Bible and not by a general discus- 
sion of the problem, but by selecting the great sections of the Bible 
which are most helpful and allying the Bible more concretely and 
definitely with the specific needs of the men. 

They say that the Bible is a great book of experience. It con- 
tains the life stories of men who faced genuine social and moral 
situations containing real problems and states how they met those 
problems under the guidance of God. Moses, the prophets, Paul — 
these were real men who faced real situations, perhaps not as com- 
plex but certainly as typical and as difficult as those of today. 
They would focus attention upon the problem and then ask, What 
would be Jesus' solution? Will it work? They would find Jesus' 
solution not by proof texts but by an examination of the viewpoint 
of Jesus' life and great typical passages. Particularly would they 
wish men to face life situations today in the light of Jesus' life 
and teaching. 

Those who take the third position believe in the use of Bible 
knowledge but object to systematic Bible study for the average sol- 
dier, because they feel that, just because the Bible records such a 
wide range of experience, it contains much material not directly 
pertinent to the life and problems of the soldiers. Such material 
fails to capture the soldiers' interest, they say, because the prob- 
lems these Bible characters were facing, while teeming with im- 
portance in their day, are no longer vital. Further, we have only 
a few weeks in which to reach the soldiers in training, and with 
such a wealth of biblical material directly of interest and of service 
to the men, they object to spending time on less relevant material. 

Such Bible study, while giving much attention to information 
from the Bible, will, therefore, have for its purpose the guidance 
of men in facing their present-day situations in the light and with 
a complete understanding of the ideals and the experience of the 
great leaders of the past. 

***** 

The difference is well illustrated by the topics in Bosworth's 
'About Jesus" and Bosworth's "The Master's Way." The chap- 



32 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 



ters placed opposite each other use the same Scripture and much 
of the same biblical comment. In one series of studies attention is 
focused upon the Bible and its meaning, in the other upon the 
problems of the men and the Bible's relation to these problems : 



Boszvorth, 
"About Jesus" 

Study I, The Discipline of Vil- 
lage Life. 

Study II, The Influence of John, 
the Wilderness Prophet. 

Study III, The Discipline of 
Temptation. 

Study V, Jesus' Outline of the 
Civilization of the New Age. 

Study VI, No Contempt for 
Man nor Lust for Woman 
Among Those Looking for 
the New Age. 

Study VII, Plain Speech and no 
Revenge among Those Look- 
ing for the New Age. 

Study VII, Plain Speech and no 
Revenge among Those Look- 
ing for the New Age. 

Study XI, No Love of Personal 
Parade among Those Looking 
for the New Age. 

Study XVIII, Jesus Withdraws 
from the Province after a 
final Clash with the Scribes 
over their Treatment of the 
Sacred Scriptures. 

Study XIV and XV, The 
Scribes Offended by Jesus' 
Free Approach to Irreligious 
People. 

Study VIII, Showing Readiness 
for the New Age by Care of 
the Neighbor in Need. 

Study XXI, Jesus Endeavors to 
Prepare the Disciples to 
Share His Prospective Suf- 
fering. 



Bosivorth-Lobingier, 
"The Master's Way" 

Study I, The Influence of Home 
Ideals. 

Study II, Enlisting for a Great 
Cause. 

Study III, The Opportunities of 
Shore Leave. 

Study IV, Citizens of the New 
Age. 

Study V, A Sailor's Atttiude 
Toward Women. 



Study VI, Purity of Speech. 



Study VII, The Jackie and His 
Enemies. 



Study IX, The Sailor and Real 
Religion. 



Study X, Evil and Evil-doers. 



Study XI, The Jackie and his 
Fellow-Jackies. 

Study XII, Preparing to Live. 



THE APPROACH 33 

Study XXVI, Jesus is Con- Study XIII, Behavior in Days 
demned to Death by the Jew- of Crisis. 

ish Court as a Blasphemous, 
False Christ, and the Roman 
Procurator Reluctantly En- 
dorses the Sentence. 

Study XXIX, The Victorious Study XV, The Christian Wit- 
Campaign of Testimony. ness at Sea. 

Examine quickly the books mentioned under the references, 
page 17, and note the difference in the approach of these various 
books. What are your suggestions and criticisms? 



Life, after all, is made up of problem solving. A great ma- 
jority of our actions have come to be matters of habit. We do 
not think when we act. The response is automatic. But we must 
not forget that habits once were formed, and even action now 
habitual at one time did not result thus automatically. 

In any situation in which we do not act automatically as the 
result of habit, we decide either by trial and error or by thinking 
our way through. Too many of our decisions are trial and error. 
We act on the impulse that comes. If the first decision brings 
failure, we try again. If it seems successful we take it as a work- 
ing basis. Thus, by the process of trial and failure and re- 
trial and failure again, a working basis is finally adopted. In 
this method there is no basis for examining the reason for failure 
or success. Frequently, the seemingly wrong solution should not 
have been fully abandoned, and the seemingly successful course 
of action might be improved. 

Dr. Dewey describes the following as the process when we 
meet a life situation and decide after genuine thought : 

1. A Problem. There is some felt difficulty where decision is 
necessary. We locate and define this problem. 

2. Suspended Judgment. We do not act on impulse as in trial 
and error. We hold decision in suspense until investiga- 
tion and thought is possible. 

3. Suggested Solutions. Suggested possible courses of action 
are formulated and examined. 

4. The Adoption of a Course of Action. Each suggested solu- 
tion is examined and weighed. Finally, one is found which 
seems to meet the test. This is adopted as a working basis. 



34 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

5. The Testing of This Solution in Experience. This will re- 
sult in its verification or modification, sometimes even in 
its rejection. 

See Dewey's "How We Think," page 68, for illustrations. 

In a Bible group with the problem approach, there is before 
the group for discussion each time a definite problem which the 
soldiers are actually facing. It is something of moment to them. 
Acting on habit or on some impulse is sure to follow, unless some- 
thing is done to secure thought. We want to help thoughtful 
action. 

By the introduction or point of contact the problem is located, 
defined, understood. Different solutions may be suggested and 
examined; but the group is really set to find Jesus' solution and 
to try to reach a tentative conclusion as to what his principles 
would mean in the solution of the problem. From this a working 
or tentative conclusion is reached, which may be adopted for test- 
ing in actual life. Here is where the effective application comes. 
The principle, as tried out in the life situations of the soldier, is 
either adopted or revised. 

sjc sje zfc :je :]e 

May not the Association meet both opportunities ? There are 
many strong Christian men in the army who want and need sys- 
tematic study of the Bible of a thorough kind. Others have, for 
one reason or another, failed to secure any general knowledge of 
the Bible. Why not supply for these adequate classes ? There are 
other groups of slightly interested or uninterested men, who have 
insistent moral and religious problems, who probably can best be 
reached in terms of their own immediate life needs and the rela- 
tion of the Bible and the Christian ideal to these problems. Why 
not arrange for the life problem approach to reach these men? 



DISCUSSION IV 
THE METHOD 
Topics for Discussion 

Place on one side of the blackboard the teaching outline, as 
prepared in the last session of the conference. Then let the con- 
ference together work out the method of using this outline in a 
Bible study or life problem group, the director using the other 
half of the board to write down the main suggestions. 

1. What is meant by conducting a Bible study group? 

2. What method would you use? 

a. If a practical lecture or talk, describe how you would 
handle it. What are the advantages and disadvantages? 
Why did you choose this method ? What result would 
you expect to see accomplished? 

b. If a discussional method, what do you mean by a dis- 
cussional group ? Why did you choose this method ? 

3. In using the discussional method, what questions would 

you use in handling the outline? Actually phrase to- 
gether for each section of the teaching outline (See 
page 24) the questions or topics which might be used, 
a. Include one or two questions to capture the interest 
and focus attention on the problem. (Point of Con- 
tact) ; b. one question making the transition to the 
main points for discussion; c. at least one question 
on each main point with its significant scripture ; d. 
one or two questions on the application or the sig- 
nificance in the life of today. (Let the director of the 
conference take the board and write down the ques- 
tions as they are suggested. He should make the con- 
ference work them over, eliminate, phrase, re-phrase, 
combine, until six or eight questions are worked out 
which seem satisfactory as the basis for a discussion.) 

4. What are your criticisms and suggestions on the outlines 

and questions on pages 39-44? 

5. What are the characteristics of a good question? 

6. What are the other possible methods which might have 

been used in securing a rewarding discussion on the 
outline ? 

35 



36 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion V, Leading a Successful Discussion) 

1. Other methods of conducting a discussion. Use the same 
teaching outline as in Discussion IV. Assign the following for 
report : 

a. Work out a debate question from this outline which 
might be used as the basis for a discussion. 

b. State a problem or viewpoint or an actual situation in 
such a way that it would form the basis for a discussion. 

c. Work out topics which might be assigned in advance for 
report by members of the group. 

2. Observation of and report on a discussion group. 
Preferably arrange for one member of the conference to lead 

a discussion group of soldiers, using the lesson outline and ques- 
tions as worked out in the conference. Have the others observe 
what happens. 

If this is not possible, assign to various members of the con- 
ference the visitation of discussion groups actually meeting in the 
Y M C A building or the barracks, and have reports on these. 

In either case be sure that report is made on one or more of 
the following topics : 

a. Give a general description of what happened in the 
group. 

b. Keep time quietly on the group discussion. How much 
actual time, by the watch, was taken by the leader? 
How much by the group? 

c. Keep record of how many times the leader took part ; 
how many times the group members. How many differ- 
ent persons took part? How many did most of the 
talking? 

d. What questions or topics secured the most discussion? 
Why? What questions resulted in the least discussion? 
Why? 

e. How free was the discussion? If the group members 
did not take part, why not? How did the leader handle 
the discussion? 

f. How far did the teaching outline seem to touch the needs 
of the men? What are your frank suggestions? What 
changes would you make if the lesson were to be taught 
again ? 



THE METHOD 37 

g. How much did the discussion stay to the point? How 

did the leader keep it from scattering? 
h. What did the leader seek to accomplish by the group 

hour ? Did he succeed ? 

3. Examination of stenographic reports of discussion groups. 
Using the topics as indicated under "2" above, make a critical 

study of the discussion group reports on pages 58-70. 

4. What are the duties of a leader of a discussion? How 
does his function differ from a speaker in a religious meeting? 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion V, Leading a Successful Discussion) 

Moore, ''What Is Education?" Chapter IX, Organization by 
Selection. 

Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach" : Chapter III, Atten- 
tion and Interest in Teaching. 

Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher" : Lessons XVI and XVII, 
Attention and Apperception. 

Coe, "A Social Theory of Religious Education" : The Learn- 
ing Process Considered as the Achieving of Character. 

Notes on The Method 

(Discussion IV) 

The conference should appraise the advantages and disad- 
vantages of the different methods of conducting Bible study 
groups. (See particularly Home's "Leadership of Bible Study 
Groups," pages 36-45.) 

A lecture class has the advantage of giving an opportunity 
for an orderly and effective development of the topic. A lecturer 
can array all the facts and bring them to bear upon his audience, 
coming to a carefully planned climax. If the lecture is original 
and to the point, it arouses personal thought on the part of the 
group. Certainly in the religious meetings the strong speaker 
who is dealing with questions of actual importance and interest 
to the soldiers challenges thought and gives a motive for action. 

The query about the use of the lecture method in a Bible study 
or life problem group is not a matter of its validity, but whether 
it is the most effective method. There are already in the average 
Y M C A Army building opportunities for two general meetings 
each week. Do we want a third? Further, there is genuine need 
for some place where soldiers can have a chance more intimately to 



38 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

face their questions, where they can talk back and exchange ex- 
periences and come to their own thinking. In the lecture there 
is danger that the men will remain passive and we shall deceive 
ourselves as to the results of the address. The speaker earnestly 
states his point of view and exhorts to action. His audience has 
no opportunity to ask questions, to object, to express opinions. 
They sit passively. They seem to be impressed. The speaker 
thinks they will surely act upon his earnest exhortation. Many 
a man in the audience, even though he does not phrase the state- 
ment, goes out thinking, "It sounds good, but it won't work." 

The value of the discussional group is the fact that it chal- 
lenges men to think for themselves. It dares to believe in the 
democracy of thought: that a man has a right to his own opinions 
and convictions, even though they may differ radically from 
those of the leader of the group. Men act not on ideas which 
are given to them, but on convictions which they make their own. 
A man is much more likely to act on a conviction which has 
grown out of frank interchange of opinion in a small group than 
he is upon an idea which is given him in a public address, fre- 
quently in the form of exhortation. Further, the frank discus- 
sion joins together several men in a common conviction. A man 
may be impelled to action in a meeting; but he goes back to his 
barracks one man against a group. In a discussion group, if five 
men have expressed a like conviction, there is a nucleus who can 
stand together for this better life and who know one what the 
other believes. 

The disadvantages in the discussional group are these : the 
discussion is in danger of scattering and not getting anywhere ; 
the group members may have made little preparation and the 
thoughts suggested will not be of great significance ; it is so diffi- 
cult to secure preparation and there is so little general knowledge 
of the Bible that the group is in danger of becoming a moral and 
religious discussion without biblical significance. 



The question or topic is really the secret of success in a dis- 
cussional group. The characteristics of a good question are easily 
recorded. A good question should be brief and clear, not need 
extended explanation, not be answered by "yes" or "no," not be 
an exhortation in question form. It should go to the heart of the 
issues in the problem before the group without giving the answer, 



THE METHOD 



39 



and focus attention on the pertinent points. "Are," "is," "shall" 
— these at the introduction of a question probably mean that it 
can be answered by yes or no or is an exhortation in question 
form. "How," "What difference," "Compare" — these are sig- 
nificant terms in a discussional question. 

The following are the questions which were worked out on 
the lesson outlines given in the Notes on Discussion III. These 
are intended for criticism and as illustrations. 



OUTLINE I 
Purpose 

To lead men to see the reality of Jesus' temptations and how 
he conquered. 



Outline 
Point of Contact 

Relation of Jesus' call in the bap- 
tism to his temptations. 

Main Points 

1. Jesus was tempted to sacrifice 
his ideals (in the baptism) for 
present advantage. 

a. To sacrifice the spiritual 
ideal for immediate com- 
fort. 

b. To yield to the popular de- 
mand at the sacrifice of the 
greater good. 

c. To yield to the political am- 
bitions of his people at the 
sacrifice of his own stand- 
ards. 

Application 

1. The secret of Jesus' victory. 

a. Loyalty to his bigger ideal 
and a great life purpose. 

b. Relationship to God. 



Questions 

What was the relation of 
Jesus' call in the baptism to 
his temptation? 



What was the point in the 
first temptation? In the 
second? In the third? Just 
what was jesus tempted to 
do? 



What was the 
Jesus' victory? 



secret of 



OUTLINE II 
Purpose 

To lead the soldiers to feel that they can depend upon the 

friendship of Jesus in meeting the severe temptations that 

come to them as they enter upon their sacrificial career for 

the nation and the world, because Jesus met and conquered 

greater temptations as he entered upon his heroic life for 

the world. 



40 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 



Outline 

Point of Contact 

We are studying today what are 
commonly called Jesus' tempta- 
tions. We must remember that it 
is the record of the experience 
which came to him after he had 
listened to a call to a great na- 
tional service. We in the Nation- 
al Army have responded to the 
great international slogan of Pres- 
ident Wilson and our country, 
"Make the world safe for de- 
mocracy." The call which Jesus 
heard was, "The Kingdom of God 
is here." It was the great hope 
of his people. In his baptism we 
found tbat he gave himself to this 
cause. In his temptations he faced 
the great testing which comes to a 
man under these circumstances. 
Let us examine these testings. He 
was deciding how he would carry 
on this great national service. 

Main Points 

1. In leaving his business as a 
carpenter and entering upon 
this great work, he faced three 
severe issues, in choosing be- 
tween a life of ease and popu- 
larity as the people's hero and 
one of sacrifice and suffering 
and death for the greater ideal. 

a. He was tempted to satisfy* 
physical hunger and bring 
material content, without 
reference to its future effect 
upon him and the nation. 

b. He was tempted to fulfill 
the popular expectation of 
a spectacular leader and be- 
come the popular hero of 
the people. 



Questions 



Just what was the national 
significance of Jesus' an- 
swer to John's challenge 
and His baptism? 



What was the relation of 
Jesus' baptism to his tempt- 
ation ? 



What was the first tempta- 
tion? Just what was the 
temptation to turn stones 
into bread? Why was this 
severe? 

What was the second 
temptation? What was 
there in the popular ex- 
pectation which made the 
seemingly crazy notion of 
throwing himself down from 
the top of the temple a real 
testing? Why did Jesus re- 
fuse to gain a following by 
meeting the popular de- 
mand? 



THE METHOD 



41 



He was tempted to yield to 
the narrow and selfish po- 
litical ambitions of his peo- 
ple and become a military 
leader, when military lead- 
ership was linked with sel- 
fish power. 



2. These temptations were as real 
as ours, and the very power of 
Jesus made them more severe 
than any temptations we know. 
He was victorious, not because 
he could not sin, but because he 
knew the secret of conquering. 

Application 

1. How we conquer. 

2. The character results of con- 
quering: nobility of character 
(goodness is not untried inno- 
cence, but victorious virtue). 



What was the third tempta- 
tion? What was there in 
the hope of the people which 
made this suggestion that 
he lead a political move- 
ment a real temptation? 
Could Jesus have led a suc- 
cessful revolution? Why 
did he refuse to lead such 
a movement to free his peo- 
ple from the galling Roman 
yoke? 

What was Jesus really 
tempted to do? 

How real were Jesus' tempt- 
ations ? 

How did they compare in 
severity with ours today ? 
How was Jesus able to con- 
quer ? 



How would you suggest to 
a person that he overcome 
temptation ? 



What is the result of con- 
quering temptation? 



OUTLINE III 

Purpose 

To inspire the soldiers to conquer temptation like strong 
men and as Jesus did. 



Outline 
Point of Contact 

Intimate exchange of new tempta- 
tions and testings as a soldier. 



Transition 
Why men are tempted. 



Questions 

In what ways is it harder to 
do what we know is right 
and to live up to our ideals 
in camp than it was in civil- 
ian life? In what ways is 
it easier ? Where are a 
man's temptations the more 
severe? 



Why are men tempted? 



42 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 



Main Points 

1. Temptation comes because we 
are men and have the power of 
choice. 

a. The stronger the man, the 
more severely he is tested. 

b. Typical character of Jesus' 
temptations and their sever- 
ity because of his great 
power. "Jesus was tempted 
in all points like as we are 
and yet we shall never be 
tempted as he was." His 
temptations were typical of 
ordinary men's : 

(1) Physical. 

(2) To listen to popular 
clamor and make a 
grand-stand play. 

(3) To sell out to the boss 
who said he controlled 
the world and would 
give him anything he 
wanted. 

2. The man of strength is such 
not because he has not been 
tempted, but because he has 
won. 

a. A quitter gives up and goes 
the easy road. 

b. The strong man wins and 
becomes strong by winning. 

c. Jesus had wonderful char- 
acter because he had learned 
how to conquer. 



Application 

The secret of conquering. 

1. Obey simple laws of common 
sense and psychology. Break 
with it absolutely; put in every 
positive influence on the other 
side ; associate with good peo- 
ple ; keep time filled with good 
influences ; bring a new motive 
power into the life through 
friendship. 



Who is tempted the more 
severely, the strong man or 
the weak ? 

How severe really were 
Jesus' temptations ? Just 
what were Jesus' tempta- 
tions ? 

How far were his tempta- 
tions typical of the tempta- 
tions of any strong man? 



Why does a man of strong 
character seemingly have 
so few temptations ? 



What was the secret of 
Jesus' character — inability 
to sin or knowledge of how 
to conquer ? How did Jesus 
conquer ? 



What are some common- 
sense suggestions as to how 
to conquer temptation? 



THE METHOD 



43 



Conquer as Jesus did. He had 
a great cause to which he com- 
mitted his life. He knew the 
power of his Father in his life. 



Just how can Jesus help a 
man to conquer temptation? 



OUTLINE IV 

Purpose 

To give men the motive and the help to overcome the tempta- 
tions most insistent in camp. 

Outline Questions 
Point of Contact 

Comparison of camp and civilian Where is it easier to live 

life. straight and true — as a 



Transition 

Most insistent temptations of men 
in camp. 



Main Points 

1. Why resist temptation? 

a. In justice to the nation and 



the war 

b. In justice 
friends. 

c. In justice to self. 



to home and 



2. 



Result of overcoming. 

a. Temptation conquered. 

b. Strong man. 

c. Jesus' strength not because 
untempted but because he 
learned how to conquer. 



civilian or 
what ways 
Easier? 



in 

is 



camp; 



In 



it harder ? 



What are the most difficult 
temptations of camp life? 
Which is the hardest to 
overcome ? Why ? 

Why should the soldier re- 
sist the temptation to (in- 
sert here most difficult 
temptation as given by 
men) anyway? How does 
his responsibility for wrong 
doing compare with that of 
the civilian? In view of the 
sacrifices the soldier is mak- 
ing, how much latitude 
should he be allowed? 
How long will a man be 

tempted to ? When 

does a man cease to be 

tempted to ? Why 

does a man of good charac- 
ter seemingly have so few 
temptations ? Is every man 
tempted? Was Jesus tempt- 
ed? Who is tempted the 
more, the strong man or the 
weak man? Why? What 
effect does overcoming 
temptation have upon char- 
acter? 



44 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 



Application 

1. How overcome temptation. 

a. Practical suggestions. 

b. The way pals help and hin- 
der. 

c. The way Jesus and prayer 
help. 



Let's take the temptation to 

. How would you 

suggest to a soldier that he 
go about it to overcome this 
temptation ? How much 
does a relative help? How? 
Some fellows who have 
conquered temptation say 
that Jesus helped them. 
What do they mean ? What 
is there in it? 



OUTLINE V 
Purpose 

To make the soldiers feel the necessity of winning and to 
show them how to win. 



Outline 

Point of Contact 

Take a specific temptation, such as 
booze or cussing, and ask what a 
fellow gets out of booze. 



Questions 

What good does a 
get out of cussing? 



fellow 



Why does it seem to be the 
nature of most fellows to 



Main Points 

1. The seriousness 
with temptation. 



of playing What harm is there in cuss- 
ing? Why should a fellow 
keep on? 

Should a fellow quit cuss- 
ing ? Why or why not ? 

How can a fellow quit cuss- 
ing? Does it do any good 
to pray? How? 



2. The necessity of winning. 

Application 

1. How to overcome temptation. 

a. A firm determination. 

b. Choice of companions. 

c. Thought of those who are 
left behind. 

d. Help of God. 

Note the difference in the type of question for the different 
parts of a teaching outline : the point of contact ; the main points ; 
the application. 

The point of contact question is intended to capture interest 
and focus attention on the problem leading up to the main points. 
It really forms the introduction to the discussion in terms of the 



THE METHOD 45 

men's experience. It is the connection between the present inter- 
est and experience of the men and the new material. The idea is 
to focus attention at the hot spot of interest. We realize thor- 
oughly the principle of apperception that new is learned in terms 
of the old. If a man has never been to the top of a mountain and 
knows nothing about mountains, it is difficult to make him feel a 
mountain experience. But if he has been on one mountain, another 
mountain experience can be made a living reality to him. So it 
is in the matter of religion. Jesus was always explaining the 
great truths of the Gospel in terms of the experience of the people 
around him. A man who knows what friendship is may come to 
understand what are the possibilities of friendship with God. A 
man who has found how a friend can help him overcome tempta- 
tion may get some idea of how God helps in severe testings. So 
the point of contact connects the new truth with the present 
experience. The chief dangers to be avoided are two : First, 
the point of contact question will prove so interesting that it will 
monopolize the time instead of simply introducing the discussion. 
If it proves to be this sort of a question, it probably should have 
been used in application rather than for an introduction. Second, 
there will be a distinct jar between the opening question and the 
questions on the main points. This can be bridged by a transition 
question, leading from the point of contact to the main points of 
the lesson. 

The questions on the main points should lead the group to 
think through the points the leader feels are important, without 
his telling them to the group. If Scripture is used, the questions 
must ask for more than mere repetition of the Scripture narra- 
tion. They should both focus thought upon the meaning of the 
Scripture and lead toward its application in life. 

The application questions are intended to form the basis for a 
discussion of the meaning of the lesson in terms of the life of 
today. Frequently these may include a repetition of the problem 
as stated in the point of contact. 

These various types of questions can be illustrated, for in- 
stance, in a series of questions on Jesus' teaching regarding 
money/ The Scripture selected is Luke 12:13-21; Luke 18:18-30; 
Luke 16:19-31. 

The desire for money could be made a point of contact with 
a question : 



Based on "A New World Democracy," by Harrison Elliott. 



46 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

How much money will satisfy a person? 

As a transition, turning attention toward the Christian teach- 
ing, these questions could be asked : 

How much money will satisfy a Christian ? How much money 
can a man have and still be a Christian? What was Jesus' 
standard ? 

Questions on the Scripture bringing out the main points could 
well be as follows : 

Why did Jesus object to the rich farmer tearing down his 
barns and building larger ones ? 

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, why did he send 
the rich man to hell as a matter of course ? 

Why did Jesus insist that the young man of splendid habits 
and character should get rid of all of his property? 

A summary question would then be made : 

Just where does Jesus draw the line between predatory wealth 
and honest income ? 

Application could in this case well return to the point of con- 
tact question: 

How much money can a man have and still be a Christian? 

When is a business a success according to Bradstreet's, when 
is it a success according to Jesus' standards? 

When is a nation considered commercially successful accord- 
ing to present international thought? When is it rated a success 
according to Jesus? 

Under this method the point of contact question locates the 
problem and defines it clearly. We are frankly seeking to use the 
biblical material as suggesting Jesus' solution and trying to reach 
a tentative conclusion as to what his principles would mean in the 
solution of the problem. The application is given to testing this 
principle in life situations as we know them. Is the principle 
valid ? Will it work ? We then try to work it out and report the 
difficulties to the group. 

]|e sfc % ^ ^ 

Criticize the follozving questions:' 

What must we do before our sins can be forgiven? 

How did Saul treat David? 

When does the Sabbath contribute to social progress ? 

Who chased whom around the walls of what? 

Why has Christianity proved more successful in private than 
in social life ? 



Part of these are quoted from "The Pupil and the Teacher," by Weigle. 



THE METHOD 47 

Js a man's religious duty ever inconsistent with his social 
obligation ? 

What happens when you tell a lie? 

Is it right to honor our parents ? 

From the parable of the tares, what do we learn as to the 
method of establishing the Kingdom? 

What is the militant spirit and how much did Jesus permit it ? 

How do you interpret the paradox of Jesus' law of losing life 
to find life ? 

What miracle was performed in last Sunday's lesson? 

Were the Pharisees really lovers of the truth ? 

James and John were ? And they were sons 

of ? (Class answered, thunder.) No, they were 

called that, but they were really sons of ? (Zaccheus). 

No. (Zebedee.) 

Whom is this parable about? Where did he go from and 
where to? 

What did Jesus do next? 

What proof do we find in the next verse? 

What story did Jesus tell when a lawyer asked him whom to 
consider a neighbor? 

When did Jesus consider a man loyal to the Kingdom of God? 
How can a man be loyal to the Kingdom of God and to his coun- 
try at the same time ? 

What is the method of attaining greatness as outlined by 
Jesus ? Does it work ? 



Common faults in question asking: 

Too many in a period. Many a leader who supposedly has a 
discussional class will ask sixty questions in forty-five minutes. 
Small chance for real discussion. 

Lecture in question form. The person who thinks he is lead- 
ing a discussion often simply makes statements and exhortations 
in question form and expects the group to assent. 

Lack of clearness in a question. It is so poorly stated and so 
involved that the leader has to explain and re-explain. 

Repeating the question too many times. The leader should 
state questions and give the group time to respond before repeating 
the question. 

Not being patient enough for answers. When everybody is 



48 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

quiet may be one of the most fruitful times in a group. Give the 
men at least a minute of quiet in which to think. 

A question should be suggestive enough to arouse thought, 
and broad enough to call for even a series of thoughts and 
comment. 



DISCUSSION V 
LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 

Topics for Discussion 

1. Report on three special assignments on other methods of 
conducting a discussion (see page 36). 

a. A debate question. 

b. The statement of a problem, or a viewpoint, or an actual 
situation. 

c. Topics for report by members of the group. 

(It may be well for these reports to be written on the 
board and then let the members of the conference crit- 
icize and make suggestions.) 

2. Report on observations of discussion groups. 
(See Assignment, pages 36-37, for topics.) 

3. Consideration of problems in discussion group leadership. 

a. What is a discussional group ? How does it differ from 
an Association religious meeting? From a preaching 
service? 

b. How does a discussional group compare in effectiveness 
with a lecture class? 

c. What are the chief difficulties in leading a discussion 
group? How can they be overcome? When do you 
consider a discussion group session a success? 

d. What is the function of the leader of a discussion group? 
How does it differ from the function of the speaker in 
a meeting? 

e. What is the best way to lead a discussional group? 

f. If the discussion drags, what can the leader do? If the 
discussion scatters from the point, how can the leader 
bring it back? When and how far should the leader 
abandon his teaching plan? 

g. How much time should be taken by the leader and how 
much by the group? 

h. How can the leader insure that every member of the 
group takes part freely? 

i. Just how definitely should the leader prepare for the 
group session in advance? Shall he depend upon the 
inspiration of the group for his questions or phrase them 
before the meeting? Shall he depend upon the general 

49 



50 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

problems which the group suggests or carefully work 
out his own plan? 
4. How much responsibility and opportunity has the group 
leader between sessions ? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion VI, Conducting a Leaders' Training Class) 

Demonstration Session of a Soldier Leaders' Training Class. 
If possible, select eight or ten soldier leaders as members of the 
demonstration class. If such a soldier group is not possible, then 
let eight or ten secretaries form such a demonstration class under 
the leadership of the director. In any case, be sure that each 
member of the class prepares carefully on the lesson assigned, 
working out both a teaching outline and the necessary questions. 

If the demonstration class is made up of soldiers who have 
not led discussions previously, the director should meet with them 
for a preliminary set-up. He may illustrate what he wishes done 
by actually working out with them upon some other lesson a teach- 
ing outline, using the topics given on page 24 and the questions for 
discussion, following the suggestions on page 35. He will assign 
to them a particular study for the demonstration class. 

Assign to the members of the conference the preparation of 
the same study, so that they can observe intelligently. 

The director of this demonstration session should certainly 
read through carefully in advance the Notes on Discussion VI, 
Conducting a Leaders' Training Class, particularly the steno- 
graphic reports of such classes, given on pages 86-105. 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion VI, Conducting a Leaders' Training Class) 
Examine carefully the stenographic reports of Leaders' Train- 
ing Class sessions given on pages 86-105. 

Notes on Leading a Successful Discussion 

(Discussion V) 
In preparing for a group discussion very many leaders fail to 
give definite attention in advance to the method of handling the 
lesson outline. Either personally or in the leaders' training class 
the leader has prepared a good outline with an introduction, main 
points, summary, and application. This outline can be read over 
easily in five minutes. He wants to make it the basis of a re- 
warding discussion for thirty to forty-five minutes in which the 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 51 

men of the group will suggest the ideas rather than he, himself. 
Too frequently he depends upon the inspiration of the moment 
at the time of the group meeting to bring to him the questions 
or the method which will make such a discussion possible. 

Experience shows that a successful group discussion depends : 
first, upon the choice of material which is interesting and pertinent 
to the group; second, upon a teaching outline which takes ad- 
vantage of this material and handles it effectively; but third, and 
quite as important, upon a teaching method which gives the mem- 
bers of the group a chance to carry on a helpful conversation 
upon the main problems and ideas of the study. 

If the leader is to be sure of an effective teaching method, 
he should work carefully in advance on the topics or questions 
which are to be used. A good question is not phrased easily or 
on the inspiration of the moment. It needs to be phrased and re- 
phrased until it goes straight to the point. The average leader 
will find that he forms questions better working with other per- 
sons, either in the leaders' training class or in informal confer- 
ence. Mind working against mind produces results in the phrasing 
of questions which a man alone usually is not able to accomplish. 

Whatever the method, every leader should come to the class 
having thought through carefully how he is going to lead the 
group and actually having written down the questions or the topics 
or the statement of the problems for discussion. 

^s ^c % ^c ^s 

The successful leader will remember possible variations in 
leading a discussion group. The general method will probably be 
the use of a series of questions or topics, but sometimes a debate 
question is possible ; again, the statement of a topic which will 
take up the entire group hour ; and at other times the actual state- 
ment of the problem. This can well be illustrated as follows on 
the general problem of a Christian as a fighting man: 

1. One topic for the entire group hour 

"Can a man be a good Christian and an effective fighting 
soldier at the same time ?" 

2. Debate Question 

Resolved that the Christian is a more effective fighting sol- 
dier than the non-Christian. 

3. Statement of an Actual Situation 

The leader might state the problem in bayonet training, 



52 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

then ask : How far is hatred of the enemy necessary in 
successful bayonet attack? What do you think on this 
matter? How far do the training to be a Christian and 
the training to be a soldier conflict ? 

4. Taking the Opposite Side 

The group leader may sometimes provoke an interesting 
discussion by taking the opposite side of the discussion 
from that of the members of the group and a different 
viewpoint from the one the group expects him to take. 
For instance, he might state strongly the reasons why a 
man is made less effective as a fighter by being a Christian 
than he would be if he were a man without a Christian 
character. This would usually arouse a come back from 
those in the group who felt that a Christian made the more 
efficient fighter, and an open discussion would be possible. 

5. Assignment of Topics in Advance 

This differs from the general use of questions only in this 
regard, that the topics are actually assigned at one session 
for the next, and therefore a definite report is asked from 
each man on his topic. For instance, these topics might 
be assigned: 

a. What in bayonet practice and in general training for 
fighting makes it difficult for a man to follow his Chris- 
tian ideas ? 

b. What effect do the spirit and teaching of Jesus have 
on the fighting ability of soldiers? 

c. Just what was Jesus' teaching regarding love for ene- 
mies? How can a soldier love his enemies? 

d. What is the difference between indignation and hate? 
Which is the more powerful factor in war? Which did 
Jesus enjoin? 



The function of a group leader is radically different from that 
of a preacher in public worship or a person giving a practical 
talk. It is also very different from that of the director of a lecture 
class. The discussion group leader is not the expert, officially 
commissioned to give in lectures authorized ideas in religion. He 
should simply be the chairman of the discussion of soldiers, soldiers 
who have varying viewpoints and differing problems, who have 



54 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

genuine religious needs, and who are willing, if given a chance, to 
think vigorously and heroically. 

1. The leader must state the questions for discussion 

In this he follows the real function of a chairman, in seeing 
to it that the discussion focuses on what seem the significant ques- 
tions in the week's study. 

2. The leader must direct the discussion 

The greatest danger of a discussional group is that it will 
just be talk and not get anywhere. Just as the good presiding 
officer will curb the insistent tendency of Americans in delibera- 
tive assemblies to talk alongside and around and even entirely 
away from the motion under discussion, so the group leader must 
hold his group to the question. He may need tactfully to rule out 
irrelevant suggestions. He may need to call the men back to the 
point by stating the question again. He may need to stimulate 
discussion by supplementary questions or illustrations or a brief 
personal comment. But he must never forget that he is simply 
chairman. 

3. The leader must summarize the discussion on each point and 
sum up the results of the group hour 

This is not to be confused with exhortation. Many a leader 
feels he must exhort earnestly on each point and preach a sermon 
at the close of the hour. A summary should recognize the varying 
viewpoints : "Some of us think so and so, and others have such 
and such a conviction, but do you agree that the consensus of 
judgment seems to be so and so?" He must not hesitate to state 
fairly the conclusion, even if the group disagrees with him. He, of 
course, has the right to state with conviction his own ideas. The 
discussion group recognizes the democracy of ideas, the right of 
each soldier to his own convictions, provided he has faced the 
question honestly, prayerfully, effectively. The group will not 
always agree. If they do, probably nothing of consequence has 
been discussed. The group hour has become a success when every 
member sees the problem and the significance of the day's study 
clearly and has either come to some conviction, which will result 
in action, or had his thought processes so thoroughly aroused that 
he will ponder thoroughly and prayerfully on the topic after the 
group hour is over. 

This does not mean that a group is simply a talkfest and never 
gets anywhere. When a person is told a thing he may or may not 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 55 

act upon it, but when he focuses attention on it, the very law of 
mental action demands that something will happen. He will think 
his way through to some conviction, and convictions reached by 
this process are more dynamic in life and action than ideas which 
are simply told. 

The successful group leader's work does not close with the 
hour. He will be possibly of most help to the men in his personal 
friendship between sessions. With many a man he will want to 
talk personally on problems in his life of which he learns through 
the frank discussion; to others he will come casually in the course 
of the week; to still others who are going astray and whom he 
can help, he will want to come as a counsellor. In short, he must 
be a friend to every member of the group. He can win men to 
their first religious loyalty and help keep them true to their re- 
ligious ideals. 

The group leader must also be depended upon to guide any 
service activity within the company. If there is any movement for 
righteousness, such as anti-cussing, anti-gambling, or any regi- 
mental movement on for higher idealism in connection with the 
war, any bit of social service to be done to the new fellows, the 
group leader should be depended upon as a director of the activity 
of his group. 

^c afe a|e a|r a|e 

Caution: The greatest danger is that the leader will take 
such a large proportion of the time that the group members do 
not get any chance. Get a member of the group to hold a watch 
on you quietly and see how much time you take and how much 
time the group takes. Get some other member quietly to keep a 
record of the number of times you take part and the number 
of times the group members had a chance. The gentle art of self- 
restraint is absolutely essential to a group leader. You will be 
surprised, if you check on some other leader, to find how much a 
person who is supposedly conducting a discussion group can 
monopolize the time. Many a leader will not let the group mem- 
bers talk. He breaks in with a comment or an illustration after 
each member takes part. He earnestly exhorts and protests each 
time a person in the group says something with which he does 
not agree. He grows impatient if the group does not readily 
come to his conclusion and proceeds to tell them, with the hope 
of hurrying them along. If he will only keep quiet, he will find 



56 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

that the group itself will bring to time the man with the wrong 
notions and that the group itself will arrive at convictions and 
ideas even greater than those he wants to tell them. The gentle 
art of curbing one's tongue — that is essential in the leader of a 
group discussion. 

The following are some concrete suggestions on how a person 
should prepare to lead a discussion : 

1. Commence soon. Do not wait until the day before the 
group is to meet. Start at the beginning of the week. 

2. Keep a notebook, preferably with yon. As an idea comes 
to you, jot it down. As you study the material day by 
day, keep notes of all significant ideas, questions, etc., that 
come to mind. Put them down without reference to order. 

3. Go over the lesson again and read over all the notes you 
have made, thinking all the time in terms of the individual 
members of your group and the needs of each. Decide in 
the light of the material for the week upon the problems 
or questions most pertinent. Write down in a single sen- 
tence the problem of the group and why you think this 
lesson material significant or applicable. 

4. In the light of this statement of the need of the group and 
the material you have available, write out in a single sen- 
tence the purpose you would wish to accomplish. 

5. Go through the material and organize it around two or 
three main heads which relate to the purpose. The pur- 
pose will, of course, rule out much material which may 
be good but not related to the goal you have decided on. 
Don't throw this material away ; it will come in effectively 
in a later lesson. 

6. Think where your lesson will be most applicable to the 
members of your group. Just what are the present-day 
problems on which you would like to secure decision and 
action? Write these down. 

7. Think in terms of where you can get hold of the interest 
of the group. Just what statement of the question or prob- 
lem would capture attention ? 

8. Now go over your material and write it down in a lesson 
outline — purpose, point of contact, main points and sig- 
nificant Scripture, application. 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 57 

9. Think through how you zvould use this outline as the basis 
for a discussion. Either work out a series of questions or 
a single topic, or think up a problem to state, or in some 
method work it out for the basis of a discussion in a group 
hour. 

The method of conducting a Bible study or life problem group 
best suited to accomplish the result desired depends upon how 
convictions are secured that issue in transformed life and changed 
actions. It was formerly assumed in general education that knowl- 
edge is power, and that facts are dynamic. It has frequently been 
assumed in religious education that because a person had a poor 
general knowledge of the facts of the Bible, he would probably 
lack in spiritual power. Conversely, a knowledge of the Bible has 
frequently been considered a guarantee of good character. 

This assumption, both in general and religious education, 
fails to recognize the difference between knowing the truth and 
doing the truth. Knowledge may be simply so much material re- 
corded in the mind, and the repetition of it may require no more 
mental effort or moral character than for the phonograph to repeat 
the record. 

When do men act on data? When do ideas or facts result in 
action? These are the vital questions. 

Most men will admit that cussing is wrong. Most men have 
a genuine respect for Christianity. Most men will assume the right 
of many things along moral and religious lines they are asked to 
do. But they fail to act. How can we strengthen conviction and 
secure action ? 

Knowledge is worth while in the proportion that it is allied 
with the interests and experiences of a man. A problem in arith- 
metic, for instance, may simply be mental gymnastics and have 
little significance. But if it has to do directly with the building 
the boy is trying to erect, with the garden from which he expects 
to get profits with which to buy himself a wheel, or with some 
other direct interest of his life, then it becomes a part of his ex- 
perience and has value. For a certain high school boy the history 
of modern Europe was pulsating with interest because he kept 
finding some new data each day which made him understand the 
great war and its significance. The subjects in school work in- 
crease in interest and significance in proportion as their meaning 
in the actual life which the boy or girl is facing is seen. 

So within the realm of moral and religious education. A 



58 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Bible fact may be absolutely meaningless ; but if the experience 
of the Bible character, if the suggestions or ideals given, touch 
a great need in the life of the man within his range of interest 
and experience and take an intellectual and emotional hold on his 
life, then something is likely to happen. 



The following stenographic reports of actual discussion groups 
will be found very helpful for examination and study. These can 
be criticized in much the same way as an actual group which is 
being observed. 

A BARRACK GROUP LED BY A SOLDIER 

This group was led as a try-out of material prepared in the 
leaders' training class reported on page 86. The group was small 
and evidently made up altogether of Christian men. This dis- 
cussion group reflects the limitations noted in the leaders' training 
class. (See pages 85-86.) 



Subject: The Soldier's Temptations 
(Study V, "The Soldier's Spirit'') 

Leader: Mr. Edwards. 

Present: Messrs. Brown, Christian, Eddy, Arnold, Edwards, 
Davis. 

Leader: Men, what would you consider the greatest tempta- 
tion of the soldier's life here in camp? 

Eddy: I don't think he has any — not very many; he hasn't 
a chance. 

Christian: I think there are a great many. 

Leader: What do you say, Brown? 

Brown: You could find them all right — there are several 
temptations. 

Leader: What do we face here right along in our evervday 
life? 

Brown: Trying to break loose from orders, trying not to be 
soldiers. I was tempted to go down to or to the show to- 
night instead of coming here. 

Leader: What is your idea, Eddy — what are the temptations 
we run into here in everyday life, as we go along? 

Eddy: The most serious one, I think, is to keep our tempera- 
ment in control. 

Leader: What is your idea, Christian? 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 59 

Christian: That was my idea. We all get together, and 
swearing is about one of the worst temptations we have got, every 
day in life. When we leave camp, the first thing we run up 
against is drink. That is about one of the worst temptations we 
have when we get out of camp. 

Leader: Well, it wouldn't be to you or me, would it? 

Christian: No, it wouldn't be to me, but it would to a good 
many. 

Arnold: I don't see that we have many temptations — only 
we are tempted to swear pretty often. 

Leader: That seems to be the whole shooting match — the 
temptation to swear. 

Christian: The temptation to swear and smoke. 

Arnold: How about gambling? 

Christian: I don't think that is as bad as the others. 

Leader: Well, men, did you fellows ever see any good in 
swearing? How would you go about it to stop swearing? 

Arnold: I stopped the tobacco habit by saying I was going 
to stop it. I used it for four years, and then got ready to stop, 
and quit. 

Leader: I did the same thing, used it twelve years and then 
stopped it. Do you all think swearing ought to be stopped? 

All: Yes. 

Arnold: A true gentleman never will use that kind of lan- 
guage. 

Davis: Do you think the general run of fellows see the neces- 
sity of stopping it? 

Arnold: No; it is commonly used in a careless way, as a 
habit, and people don't think what they are saying. 

Davis: Do you think a man using that language without 
thinking of it is guilty? 

Arnold: He certainly is, because he thought of it at the 
time he was forming that habit. 

Davis: The book brings out one point there, that some weak 
characters try to make themselves strong characters by using 
profane language, and I think youngsters sometimes have that 
idea — that it makes them real men. 

Leader: Do you think there is any other way of stopping 
anybody from swearing? Suppose a man hasn't the will power to 
stop — what plan would you suggest to stop him? 

Davis: Suppose someone came to you and asked you how 
he might stop swearing or smoking, you could give him your 
personal experience ; but it might be he would want more than that 
— that he might not be able to exert his will power. Is there any- 
thing else that could be done ? 

Arnold: Well, I suppose he would use prayer. 



60 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Davis: Would the average fellow here in the barracks resort 
to praver? We believe that is the step to take, but would the other 
fellow"? 

Arnold: If there is power in God, there must be power in 
prayer, sure. A man has a conviction he is doing wrong and 
has a desire to change ; I think he would get strength by going 
to God a few minutes before retiring. 

Leader: That is really the best way, I think; it makes a man 
think more, through prayer. He will not only think every time 
he is praying, but if he starts to swearing the next day he will 
think what he prayed the night before. It weighs on a man's 
conscience. I think a man's conscience becomes dull in time. 
Another good way to stop a man swearing is by the fellows who 
don't swear associating with him, and reminding him of it in a 
decent manner ; and sooner or later he won't need any reminding. 
It will come natural to him. 

Eddy: Wasn't it General Grant once told a story about be- 
ginning to swear in his younger days, and later cutting it out 
because it simply did no good and because the English language 
was adequate to express any feeling one might have without 
venting one's wrath in any way that was wrong? 

Davis: That is a good point, I think — the uselessness of it, 
and also the adequacy of the English language. The point is 
brought out that the fellow with an impoverished vocabulary re- 
sorts to swearing. (He then gave an illustration of certain men 
in the most dangerous trench position on the front as most given 
to profanity.) One of our men that eats over there spoke to one 
of the fellows one day about swearing, and he said, "Well, if you 
don't like it here you can get out." My friend said, "We don't 
mean we want to get out, but are just advising you not to use that 
kind of language." He noticed next day that the fellow did not 
use it so much. 

Arnold gave illustration of woman working in a house where 
a very profane man also worked. She told him sne would quit if 
he didn't cut out the swearing, with the result that he never used 
profanity in her hearing. 

Davis told of habit of long line of soldiers in canteen be- 
ginning all sorts of profanity when the Y M C A men came in 
would wait until they got inside and then turn loose with a string 
of oaths. 

Another spoke of fellows who would treat ministers that way 
to shock them. 

Another suggested that a Christian man in a bunch of fellows 
will often find that they begin throwing slurs at him, using pro- 
fanity, etc. If he stands steady someone in the bunch may become 
his best friend. 

Another referred to the use of slang words bordering on 
profanity. 

The leader told of his experience when working in the Buffalo 
Terminal Railway mail service, when Billy Sunday visited the 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 61 

building and gave them the cure for profanity, namely, to say, 
"Brighten the corner" when you are tempted to swear. The fore- 
man was the worst user of profanity in the building. He adopted 
Sunday's plan, and told the rest (forty or fifty men) that he didn't 
want to hear any more swearing around there. 

Arnold: Do you think a man is saved who uses profanity? 
Would a saved man have any desire to use it ? 

Leader: No, I don't. I don't think a man is a whole Chris- 
tian who swears. 

Arnold: Do you think any half Christians get to heaven? 

Leader: No, I think it is all or none. 

Arnold: Do you think it is any use to try to live a Christian 
life half way? 

Leader: No. 

Arnold: Of course from a moral standpoint you would say 
yes. 

Leader: Well, here is the question — could a man swear and 
be saved? 

Arnold : I would answer that by asking if a man who is saved 
has any desire to swear. 

Leader: No. 

Davis: Well, there is this to say. A man has been very pro- 
fane and is converted. He may not have a desire to swear, but he 
has the habit, and it takes time to overcome the force of habit. I 
would just raise that question — whether a man could stop immedi- 
ately. He may not desire to swear, but on sudden provocation 
may do so from force of habit. 

Arnold gave illustration of man in his home vicinity who had 
lived a rough life, using a great deal of profanity, who was con- 
verted. One evening, while milking, the cow put her foot in the 
pail, and from force of habit he said "Jesus . . ." then caught him- 
self and finished with "Lover of my soul." 

Christian: There was a man in my home town who used to 
go to town every Saturday night and get drunk. He was a pro- 
fessed Christian, and on Sunday would go to church and was the 
first to lead in prayer, and in the prayermeeting. Was he a Chris- 
tian? 

Leader: No; he was a hypocrite. 

Christian: That is what I thought. 

Arnold: That reminds me of the man who had to lean up 
against a post to give a temperance lecture — that's a fact. 

Leader: Reads from book, "Death and life are in the power 
of the tongue ..." I think our whole lesson is summed up in those 
four phrases. 

Davis: I think we can accomplish more on the one temptation 
than to take time on all of them. I think we should leave with this 
thought: It is a question whether we can exert our own will 



62 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

power, of our own ability; with our own power we may not be 
able to overcome temptation; but with God's power we can do it. 
That is one reason we ought to pray — to make God very real in 
our own lives. That is one way to bring Him to others. There is no 
doubt but there are temptations, and we recognize the necessity 
of meeting those temptations and overcoming them. It may be, as 
we brought out this afternoon, that there are some who don't feel 
they have got to overcome temptations ; they don't see the neces- 
sity of it. It is up to us as Christians to show them the necessity 
of overcoming temptations and giving them help to do it. Give 
instances of how God has helped men. 

Arnold: There is a question I have always thought on an 
awful lot, and that seems strange to me — a man without any say-so 
of his own is put here, and condemned to death if he doesn't meet 
the requirements, condemned to hell and damnation. 

Davis: Some fellows think because they are so placed here 
they will never be punished; but Christ himself had to make the 
choice. He was tempted, and it was hard for him to overcome 
the temptations. We are placed here, I think, as a stage of devel- 
opment, and have the right to choose. 

Leader: I think we can take a good example from the Devil's 
temptation of Christ on the mountain. 

Davis: If we could follow that example every time it would 
give us victory. 

I think that is the thought we ought to carry away with us — 
follow Christ's example, and put Satan behind us. 

A DEMONSTRATION GROUP AT A CONFERENCE 
(The members of the conference observing) 

The subject was "A New Age and New Standards," based 
on Rauschenbusch, "The Social Principles of Jesus," Chapter VI. 

Leader: I can quite realize that a discussion group of this 
sort, in which men from various institutions, who do not know 
each other before they come here, and have no common point of 
sympathy and interest, can in no sense be as free and easy and 
vital as could a group of men who know each other well and 
who come together for discussion week after week. Then, too, of 
course, you can realize you have a staging of a proposition here 
which makes it very difficult to overcome the reticence. There is 
an audience of other people who are watching, so that there will be 
very many elements in a discussion group of this kind which would 
not in any sense be typical. The only purpose in holding such a 
discussion is to see if it isn't possible to throw in relief certain 
problems, so we can talk these questions over afterwards. 

I would like three or four things watched, and it may be just 
as well to assign them now. I want some person with a watch to 
see how much time I occupy and how much time the group mem- 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 63 

bers occupy. Will you do that ? Watch exactly how many minutes 
I take and how many minutes the group get a chance to talk. I 
wish somebody else would keep a record of the number of times 
I take part and the number of times the group takes part. I want 
some one else to watch which one of the members of the group 
takes part the most times and how many times he takes part, and 
how many members of the group take no part in the discussion 
from beginning to end. Will somebody look after that for me ? 
Now, another thing, I want some person to keep a record of the 
question that got the most discussion and why you think it got 
the most discussion and the question that got the least discussion 
and why you think it got the least discussion. I shall have to have 
two people to do that. I want some other person to watch the 
whole lesson outline as it is worked out. I want two to see where 
you think it is really vital for the students, what your general 
criticism is on the whole lesson outline ; where you would change 
it if you were doing it yourself; just the whole plan of the lesson. 

Now, let the members of the group who are going to join 
with us in this discussion come up. 

(Group formed.) 

Leader: I think just as far as possible we want to forget 
that there is any person around here. Let us have a word of 
prayer. 

Our Father, we come to Thee asking that we may forget our 
surroundings, that we may really come trying to find some new 
truth, some new basis of life, something that will be of service 
to us in this present world's catastrophe, as we are trying to find 
our relation to it in various kinds of thinking. Help each of us 
as we face together the challenge of applying the principles of 
Jesus as that challenge has been brought to us. We ask it in Thy 
name. Amen. 

The question which has come up in my mind really first is 
why there is so much talk about a basis for a permanent world 
peace. We did not hear so much about it before this war was on, 
and yet now we seem to be hearing on all sides talk on the basis 
of permanent world peace. Why is it? (This group was con- 
ducted at the time various peace proposals were being discussed, 
and just following President Wilson's detailed proposals concern- 
ing the basis for settlement of the war.) 

Member of the Group: We never had such a great war be- 
fore. People never thought of it. Never have been so many 
involved. 

Member of the Group: I think we believed we had a perma- 
nent world peace. Everything was working toward it before the 
war started. That is what we thought, at least. 

Member of the Group: Anything that must be permanent re- 
quires fundamental principles. That is, permanency implies that 
its foundation is correct. 

Leader: This man here suggested we thought we had a per- 



64 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

manent basis of world peace and we didn't. What in the world 
was wrong with our basis? 

Member of Group: It was not found on true principles of 
life. We were trying to beat the other fellow and still trying to 
get along with him. 

Leader: What is wrong with the Prussian military basis? 
Why has militarism failed to secure peace ? That is what we said 
it would do. What do you think about it ? 

Member of the Group: You can't down a man by licking him. 

Leader: Now, what do you think about it? 

Member of the Group: Too selfish a motive. We have not 
been thinking in the terms of loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

Member of the Group: We have too much competition, de- 
pending on the balance of economic power in different countries. 

Leader: To what extent has commercial competition had 
anything to do with the war ? 

Member of the Group: Commercial competition was the 
source of the war. 

Member of the Group: Did we ever feel there would be a 
permanent peace before this war, or is that an entirely new 
thought ? 

Member of the Group: According to history, after other wars 
they had the same ideals, "when this war is ended we will have no 
more wars." 

Leader: What do you think about this? 

Member of the Group: It seems to me that the foundation 
we set upon is all right, but the trouble is we haven't set our house 
upon the foundation. The ideal has been given us, but we have not 
risen to the ideal. 

Leader: I don't understand you on that. What do you mean ? 

Member of the Group: The Christian principles have been 
all right. Our ideal of Christianity is very good, but it has been 
set so high we haven't risen to it. 

Member of the Group: You see it is not practicable if a man 
strike you on the one cheek to turn to him the other. We have 
got to get ahead in commerce. If one country is going to succeed 
in commerce it cannot let another country take things away from 
it. We have got to defend our commercial interests and interests 
at different points, and for the sake of that we have set aside Chris- 
tian principles because they were not practicable. 

Leader: What do you think has been the matter with inter- 
national relationships that has made a permanent peace impossible ? 

Member of the Group: I think economic trade is at the bot- 
tom of the thing. First of all we have been trying to go on the old 
principle, as you might call it, that business goes on — the more 
money we can get, the more prosperous and sound we are. The 
consequences are we have tried to get all of the money we can in 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 65 

our own country. Protective tariff probably helped to aggravate 
that condition. While of course race prejudice, etc., have entered 
into the war, I think in the first place at the bottom of it is eco- 
nomic trade. 

Leader: How far have secret diplomacy and the spy system 
had anything to do with it ? 

Member of the Group: I think that has worked right in with 
the economic situation. 

Leader : How ? 

Member of the Group: Trade treaties, etc., linked together to 
down the other fellows in this world's goods. 

Member of the Group: Special privilege — one country could 
get a special privilege and keep that a secret as long as we could. 

Leader: If I get you, you feel the whole basis of this has 
been an economic basis ; that is what is the matter with the world, 
economic competition between nations. 

Member of the Group: I think it is true because trade is the 
one big thing nations as a whole engage in ; the one big link that 
binds us together is our trade. 

Leader: What do you think about it? (Turning to a member 
of the group). 

Member of the Group: I think so. I think it is trade rela- 
tions and selfishness and national selfishness, too. It comes back 
to industrial trade relations. 

Member of the Group: When Constantine first took up the 
sword and brought militarism into religion, do you think it was an 
economic reason? 

Member of the Group: Yes, sir. 

Leader: What do you think about it? What really is the 
basis? Why has Christianity after all failed to stop this? 

Member of the Group: We don't believe it enough to practice 
it, that is the trouble. We read these things but we don't practice 
them. It is not very profitable to give away a coat or so. 

Leader: What do you think about it ? (Turning to a member 
of the group.) 

Member of the Group: The gentleman who just spoke ex- 
presses my opinion. There are but few men who will pay the price. 

Leader: Would you apply Christianity to international rela- 
tionships? 

Member of the Group: Certainly. Why not? 

Leader: Some people say it is intended for individual rela- 
tionships but it was not intended for international relationships, it 
won't work. 

Member of the Group: Doesn't Christianity conflict with in- 
ternational ambitions and those things which it is plain that every- 
body and all nations must engage in on a common basis? For 
instance, trade is one of those things in which no nation heretofore 



66 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

has found itself able to exist as a unit without having relations 
with other countries. I think Christianity clashes with a nation 
when it tries to be an economic unit. 

Member of the Group: The trade relationships between indi- 
viduals in their own towns are fundamental, and if you apply 
Christianity between people in their home town, Democrats and 
Republicans and grocers and architects, etc., if you can apply the 
principles of Christianity there and not be trying to take the busi- 
ness from the other man, then you can apply those principles to 
the state, to interstate commerce, and from there to the nation. We 
have to start with the fundamental. I think the most fundamental 
relation is between man to man. 

Leader: The question is coming up all the time, whether or 
not you can use Jesus' principles as a basis for peace in this war, 
and it is discussed back and forth, over and over. It seems to me 
it is very pertinent in this particular discussion whether you really 
can use the ideals of Jesus as the basis of peace negotiations. 
That is the immediate thing that everybody is talking about. For 
instance, what was the attitude of Jesus toward his enemies? 

Member of the Group: Love them. 

Leader: What was the attitude according to the religion of 
Jesus' day, what was the religious basis or attitude toward enemies 
and friends? You could hate your enemies. You were only re- 
quired to love your friends, according to the standards of Jesus' 
day. What do you mean by "eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
tooth ?" 

Member of the Group: Give back what you get. ■ 

Member of the Group: Beat every one and let the devil get 
the one that is beaten. 

Leader : Does it mean that ? What do you mean by an ''eye 
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?" 

Member of the Group: It means you couldn't go any further. 
It means if a fellow knocks out one tooth you could not go and 
knock out two teeth, but just give him justice. That was their 
notion of justice. They thought if you did the same injustice to 
him that he did to you, the two injustices would be no injustice. 

Leader: What stage in progress does that represent? Was 
that a real advance in progress ? 

Member of the Group: That probably was an advance over 
primitive man. For instance, if you knock out a tooth and go back 
and knock off his head. 

Leader: Let us compare for a moment in genuine earnest 
this principle of an "eye for an eye" with the principle of indemnity 
and annexation. What has been the basis for alloting annexation 
and territorial disposition and indemnity around the peace table as 
you think over the wars of the past? 

Member of the Group: They paid an indemnity. They made 
China pay an indemnity in order to pay back the evil she had 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 67 

wrought on other nations. The United States refused an in- 
demnity, because in our national ideas we didn't believe it was 
right to take that. That was one of the first instances of not an 
"eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." 

Leader: What do you think about it, men? What has been 
the basis really, so far as peace settlements of the past have been 
concerned ? 

Member of the Group: Compromise that which was in ques- 
tion, and the reason for it would be each nation wanted to be a 
unit in itself. 

Leader: How did it differ from this principle of an "eye for 
an eye and a tooth for a tooth?" 

Member of the Group: It seems to be more materialistic than 
humanitarian, taking into consideration the material gains of the 
country rather than humanitarian principles for the good of the 
world at large. 

Leader : What did Jesus mean by his principle of the second 
mile and giving more than they are asked ; what do you think that 
that really meant? And turning the other cheek? What do you 
think about that? 

Member of the Group: Just meant that literally, I think, be- 
cause in his own life he did that literally. 

Leader: There is a principle which evidently in relationship 
to enemies, in relationship to individuals at least, is made the basis 
of Jesus' standard. Now, can you turn that around and bring it to 
the peace table when this war is over ? 

Member of the Group : What would you do with the situation 
that arose in this case when all known laws have been violated, 
would you sit back and let it go on and simply say, "We are too 
proud to fight?" 

Leader: What do you think about it? 

Member of the Group: Jesus Christ did not say anything in 
the Bible about letting anybody persecute widows and orphans, 
and Christ did not stand aside and let anybody desecrate the temple. 
He got in there and fought. He wasn't gentle in that respect. 
He doesn't say anything in all his teachings about not defending 
other people who are being harmed by others. He tells us we must 
take the burdens of the weak upon us and do something for them. 
So I think we should do that when it is a question of someone 
trying to do something against someone else. 

Member of the Group: They did it against our country. Was 
that against ourselves or against our government ? 

Leader: Let us focus on that. It seems to me we have got to 
find out what is meant by "turning the other cheek," and "going 
the second mile," and "loving our enemies." What do you think 
that means? We are too likely just to take the words and say they 
are more or less impracticable. What do they really men? 

Member of the Group: It seems to me loving your enemies 



68 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

means to have a broad enough vision not to desire to get revenge 
on a man when he has done something to you, but pass it up and 
take a big view of the whole affair rather than a revengeful 
attitude. 

Leader: Let us each one give our expression on that. If 
there is anything in Christianity practicable we ought to be willing 
to face it at a time like this. What do you think that means? 
(Turning to one of the group.) 

Member of the Group: I think it means that we should be 
willing to overcome and resist any evil. Of course you say that is 
impracticable because it is not the standard of international rela- 
tions. I think that is what is meant. It should be the standard 
of our aspirations. 

Leader: That should be the standard if you were sitting at 
the peace table ? That is what you would stand for ? 

Member of the Group: I think it might mean you might have 
to give him a thorough beating and yet you would be loving him. 
It is a big principle back of the thing. 

Leader: What is that principle? That is what I am trying 
to get at. 

Member of the Group: Well, I was thinking especially of this 
war, while we probably don't approve of fighting, yet the principle 
of militarism and autocracy, and so on, is wrong, and we know it 
oppresses the weaker, and so on, and it may be necessary for us 
to whip that militaristic group that has charge of that, and yet I 
think it would be loving our neighbors as individuals. 

Member of the Group: Isn't it a question whether we are do- 
ing it for his good or our good or the ultimate good of our own 
country ? 

Member of the Group: The question in my mind is who 
shall say whether it is for our good or his good? Who is going 
to interpret the standard ? 

Leader: What do you think this means, going the second 
mile, turning the other cheek, and loving our enemies? What is 
really meant by that ? 

Member of the Group: I certainly believe it is going the full 
length of our own belief in trying to do those things which will 
ultimately make a better civilization and a better world in which 
to live, and that involves a great many things, and this war, as 
America interpreted it, meant fight, because Germany had violated 
many of the international laws. 

Leader: You still don't tell me what is involved in loving 
your enemy. 

Member of the Group: I say it is doing everything possible 
to make him a better man. 

Leader: Or nation? 

Member of the Group: Or nation. 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 69 

Leader: What is your suggestion? (Turning to another mem- 
ber of the group.) 

Member of the Group: It seems to me it is simply applying 
in your relation with your enemy the principles you apply for 
the best development of yourself and your own nation, endeavoring 
to afford to the other the things which feel justified in claiming 
for yourself. 

Leader: Any privilege you have for self-development, you 
would be willing to give for the development of others? 

Member of the Group: It involves the principle of seeking 
your own privileges rather than at all times the right. 

Leader: What would you suggest on that? (Turning to an- 
other member.) 

Member of the Group: I think what he means by going the 
second mile is showing our tolerance and our good will to com- 
promise with people, not compromise any fundamentals, but show- 
ing that we are willing to be with them and help them. 

Leader: What is your suggestion on that? (Turning to an- 
other member.) 

Member of the Group: It is a concrete example in "Les 
Miserables," where Jean Valjean took one thing and the man he 
took it from gave him another, the mate to it. That was going 
two miles. He took one and gave him the second also. At the 
peace table we would have to do the same thing. We would have 
to be willing to say, "Yes, you did wrong, but we will settle this 
thing so it will work out the best for you and us both, regardless 
of revenge." 

Leader: As I understand, you have stated two principles. 
You say the ordinary basis of international relationship has been 
the basis of competition and economics largely, in which each 
nation sought the things that would be best for that nation regard- 
less of the effect on the other nation, regardless of its effect 
upon world relationship. You say Jesus insisted the prin- 
ciple shall be good will toward the nations. One man felt 
we ought to be willing to bring punishment into it. If I get what 
the rest of you said, it was that Jesus' principle was, when it 
came to the peace table that we would bring to the enemy the same 
sort of good will and the same sort of privilege in the new world 
that we would want ourselves. Is that your understanding? How 
would you change that? 

Member of the Group: What are the two opposing prin- 
ciples ? 

Leader: You have the principle of economic competition, or 
the old principle. You have the principle you say is Jesus' prin- 
ciple, when we come to the peace table and come to try to make a 
new world, we are willing that our enemies shall share in the new 
world, and that the new world shall be on the basis of equal rights 
and equal chances. What do you think? How about Wilson's 
peace proposals? Do they tally with this, do you think? 



70 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Member of the Group: He doesn't ask Germany to give up 
anything that did belong to her rightfully. 

Leader: Whether this really can be made the basis of the 
new world is the question. Here is what one person says on in- 
ternational relationship: "Christian morality is based on the law 
of love. This law can claim no significance for the relations of 
one country to another, since its application to politics would lead 
to a conflict of duties. Christian morality is personal and social 
and in its nature cannot be political. It tells us to love our indi- 
vidual enemies, but it doesn't remove the conception of enmity." 
There is the statement that this principle cannot be applied to 
international relationship. It means the "Tommy" won't hate the 
individual German soldier, but when it comes to the peace table we 
stick to the same old principles. How about it ? 

Member of the Group: That is not a part of Christ's teaching. 

Member of the Group: There is not so much in Christianity 
if that is the case. 

Member of the Group: If it cannot be applied to all nations, 
it cannot apply to this gentleman and me and not to you. 

Member of the Group: The idea of the old principle was to 
deal as nation to nation at the peace conferences, but the new ideal 
of Christ should be applied to nations the same as individuals. 

Leader: Here is what President Wilson says : "We have no 
selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We 
seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for 
the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the cham- 
pions of the rights of mankind. . . . Just because we fight without 
rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves, 
but what we shall wish to share with all free people, we shall, I 
feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without pas- 
sion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of 
right and of fair play." 

If there were more time we would discuss together concrete 
proposals for making good will the basis of international relation- 
ship, and I had in mind myself also some concrete proposals of 
good will that have been made by several internationalists. Some 
of you may have read Gulick's "The Fight for Peace" and other 
books. We rightly talk about seven billion dollars for the war. 
Gulick's concrete proposal and also the proposal of Dr. Fosdick 
in "The Challenge of the Present Crisis" is that we appropriate 
money for the reconstruction of Belgium, appropriate money for 
education in Mexico, and appropriate money for the building up 
of China, and bring into international relationship the principles 
of brotherly love. Christian missions is the greatest conception 
of international good will to be found in the world today, and it 
has done more to bring about peace and right understanding be- 
tween nations than anything else. 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 71 

Criticisms of Discussion Group 

Discussion followed from the entire conference, giving atten- 
tion to reports and criticisms in the observation of the demonstra- 
tion group. 

The following reports were made: 
The leader took part 36 times. 
The group members took part 54 times. 
The leader consumed 613 seconds. 
The group members 897 seconds. 

A Member: It really isn't fair to pass judgment, because you 
did not have time to introduce your constructive suggestions. 

Leader: That was a very brief discussion. It covered 
twenty- five minutes and the subject was threshed out very much 
faster than it should have been. What do you think of the pro- 
portion of time the group leaders and the members of the group 
talk? 

A Member of the Conference : I think as the group got to 
know each other better it would not be necessary for you to take 
so much time. 

A Member: If all the leaders kept down to your proportion 
it would be better for the class. 

Leader: What is your suggestion? 

A Member: It seems to me that a leader should be entitled 
to about two-fifths of the time. 

A Member: I should think, Mr. Chairman, the leader should 
be entitled to at least one-half because the suggestions made by 
the students, unless they have been prepared, need focusing and the 
leader has to take the time to focus them and at the same time 
make his contribution, which is likely to be quite different from 
what the students themselves would say. The remarks you made 
after the group finished were remarks that very properly belonged 
to the end of the hour. 

Leader: On the other hand, they may have had a chance to 
talk a little before. This is a very pertinent point, just how far a 
discussion group should be a discussion. 

A Member: If you had had a little more time you would not 
have had to occupy so much time. There were times when you 
spoke, following the remark of a student when if you had had a 
regular class, you could have kept quiet and the student would 
have had an answer and the discussion would have been between 
two or three of the fellows rather than with the leader. 

Leader: Too much of the conversation between leader and 
group instead of an exchange between the members of the group 
was due partly to a certain feeling of restraint on the part of the 
group. If I understand the business of a leader of a discussional 
group, it is his business to state the problems and make them 
clear. 



12 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Now, let us come to the matter of which question got the 
most discussion. There wasn't any one of the questions that se- 
cured a very long discussion in this lesson. You might spend 
fifteen minutes on a topic in a regular discussion. 

A Member: I think the point you spent most time in dis- 
cussing was the course of action the teachings of Christ demanded 
on our part in this present crisis, and surrounded by conditions 
as they are now in the world, and you asked along with that the 
reason for it. 

Leader: The practical implication got the most discussion. 
What question got the least discussion? 

A Member: I didn't try to keep a record of that so much. 

Leader: What about the lesson plan? Was it pertinent to 
the group or was it far-fetched? What about the whole outline? 

A Member: I don't know some of the things I thought of. 
But on the main point, a basis for permanent world peace, you 
seemed to have had a definite plan and you let them talk just so 
long, and you of course had a question you wanted to follow that 
up with, yet you didn't let them come to a conclusion themselves. 

Leader: That is, I guided the discussion too much, in your 
judgment? 

A Member: If you had had more time I think you would 
possibly have allowed them to go on. 

Leader: What is your judgment on this? (Asking another 
member of the conference.) Come back frankly, because we will 
get the most out of this with frankness. 

A Member: I think the leader has to guide if he wants them 
to follow his outline. 

A Member: I don't think there was too much guidance. 

A Member: There is always danger of picking out a point 
that pleases you and ignoring some other point that is just as good. 
I think I noticed that. 

Leader: That is. in the summary? 

A Member: I don't recall. 

Leader: There was one point I thought was very good, and 
the only reason I didn't spend more time on it was that I knew in 
the twenty-five minutes' discussion it would be perfectly impossible 
to do it. If there had been forty-five minutes those two view- 
points as to what Jesus stood for should have had more discussion. 

A Member: Do you think a leader should stick too close to 
the outline ? 

Leader: Which is better, to stick to your outline or to let 
a lead which seems to be a fresh point of view come in? What 
is your criterion? 

A Member: I should say if it will accomplish the purpose 
of the hour. 

Leader: Suppose it is entirely irrelevant? 



LEADING A SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION 72, 

A Member: I think you have got to have two or three high 
spots, a beginning and ending and certain things you want to carry 
out, and you have got to keep to those points. 

Leader: I don't know what your judgment is, but my obser- 
vation has been you have got to strike the happy medium between 
being absolutely bound by previous preparation and scattering all 
around over the country and letting the group go down any path 
they want to go down. 

A Member: I think the leader in summarizing ought to sum- 
marize the points that the others have made, in addition to what 
he had already prepared in his outline. 

Leader: I don't know whether I did or not. I tried to take 
the two or three viewpoints. I didn't have that worked out before 
I got here. I guess I must have missed it. You thought I wasn't 
fair? 

A Member: I thought you were fair in your outlines, but I 
think when you get in discussion the leader is liable to summarize 
his own outlines without adding the other points. 

Leader: What other suggestions do you have? 

A Member: I had just about the same. I don't think of any 
more, except more thought or more time for thought between 
opinions should be given. 

Leader: Not so much pressure. I think that is very good. 
Any suggestion on the group hour itself? 

A Member: It isn't just exactly clear to me just where the 
leader is going to lead to a conclusion after he summarizes the 
points given. 

A Member: I wonder if it wouldn't be better for the leader 
to do all the talking than to let the students make a snap judgment. 

Leader: That is the fundamental proposition I want, whether 
you believe in letting the students think or talk their own way, 
though they may give half-baked ideas, or whether the leader 
should give them advice and sound them out. Those are the two 
fundamental methods. 

A Member: I would like to say that a student on most sub- 
jects of this kind wants leadership. I am at the present time in 
a class studying the social aspect of foreign missions. A pro- 
posal was made for a leaderless class, but it was practically the 
unanimous opinion of the class that they wanted leadership, and 
consequently they induced a man in the sociology department to 
conduct the class. 

A Member: The character of the discussion, I think, would 
be different and some courses would need a student leader and 
some a faculty leader. 

Leader: As I get it, it depends on the course whether you 
have a student or member of the faculty. I think I agree there 
are certain questions which ought to be handled by faculty leader- 
ship. But still, do we believe we want discussion? It is a much 



74 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

simpler question to pick out two or three people and let them give 
their ideas. You have a very simple solution of the leadership 
problem. 

A Member: It seems to me what we are trying to accomplish 
in these discussional groups is, first of all, to set the students to 
thinking on these problems. When you have lecturer leaders of 
the group you in this way have a passive attitude of mind. What 
we are trying to do is to have the students bring out creative ideas, 
and it seems to me the discussional group will accomplish that. 
They may not arrive at so solid conclusions, but they will begin 
to think. 

Leader: Let us hear from some of the students. 

A Member: I think it depends on the question in hand. If it 
is a question they don't know much about let the faculty member 
act as a leader, and give a lecture and have a discussion the next 
time, and allow fhe students time to think it over between. 

A Member: It seems to me that students are all the time 
getting lectures and having things poured into them and they don't 
have a chance really to think for themselves. If they could get a 
course in which they could express themselves, even though they 
may make mistakes and give half-baked ideas, as you say, I think 
it would be better. 

A Member: I think the things we are getting at here apply 
to the whole educational system, so far as that is concerned. 

A Member: Mr. Chairman, if I may speak as a member of 
the faculty, the students don't really get through the skin of their 
subject. My feeling is that the student should prepare the assign- 
ments from week to week, and most discussion groups have fallen 
down because they don't prepare. I will say that the men this 
afternoon had not prepared their material very well. They didn't 
really come to the discussion with ideas. They didn't have any 
questions until they got there. Most discussion groups are not 
valuable for that reason, and it seems to me we should get the 
students to prepare the questions. 

Leader: The members of the discussion group will remember 
that I said something about that before. I told them the success 
of the discussion depended on whether they did some preliminary 
study. 

Adjourned. 



. DISCUSSION VI 
CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 

Topics for Discussion 

One of the responsibilities of a secretary in an Army Camp is 
to train discussion group leaders. Therefore it is important that 
he shall understand thoroughly the method of conducting a lead- 
ers' training class. 

If the topics in Discussion III, in the planning of a lesson, and 
Discussion IV, in the preparation of a teaching method, were fol- 
lowed in the conferences, the members have themselves already 
gone through the process of a leaders' training class. In the 
present discussion they will in turn observe one of their number 
take the directorship of such a class, composed either of soldiers 
actually leading groups or of selected secretaries from the con- 
ference. This will furnish a demonstration of a leaders' training; 
class in which a lesson plan will be worked out in accordance with 
the topics in Discussion III and teaching method in accordance 
with topics in Discussion IV. 

Before attempting to conduct a leaders' training class the 
director will find it of unusual value to read carefully through the 
stenographic reports given on pages 86-105. These illustrate the 
entire process in the development of a teaching outline and a teach- 
ing method in a leaders' training class. In order that this demon- 
stration may form the basis of the present discussion, the follow- 
ing topics should be assigned to the members of the conference 
who are observing the demonstration. 

1. How much did the members of the leaders' training class 
get opportunity to think through how they would lead a 
group ? Why did they not get more of an opportunity ? 

2. What part did the director of the leaders' training class 
take in the discussion? Did he take more or less than 
he should have taken? 

3. How much did the discussion focus upon the needs of the 
group to be led and how much upon the individual interests 
of the leaders? How largely was the time given to plan- 
ning how to lead the group and how much simply to the 
exchange of opinion on the lesson? 

4. How much help did the men get in the methods of lead- 

75 



76 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

ing groups ? How well prepared were the men, at the 
close of the training class, to lead a discussion group on 
the lesson? 

5. How much did the leaders prepare in advance? What 
further preparation would the leaders need to make per- 
sonally, after the training class, to ensure a successful 
group hour ? 

6. What are your suggestions as to how the leaders' training 
class could have been improved ? How much attention was 
given to general principles and methods of group leader- 
ship? 

7. What is the method of conducting a leaders' training class ? 
To what extent is this method feasible in training leaders 
who have not had previous experience ? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion VII, Choosing the Group Leaders) 

Divide the conference into three sections, assigning one of 
the following to each for report at the next conference : 

1. Visitation of Discussion Groups 

If the leaders' training class was made up of soldiers who are 
actually leading groups, ask these leaders to use in their next 
group meeting the lesson discussed in the leaders' training class 
in this study. Assign to each of several secretaries the visitation 
of one of these groups to observe how the lesson outline and teach- 
ing method worked when used by a soldier. Those who visit the 
groups should have in mind not so much how the leader conducted 
the group as to find evidences of the effect of the leaders' training 
class upon his leadership. 

a. How far did the leader slavishly follow the outline worked 
out in the leaders' training class ? 

b. What changes did he make in it to meet the particular 
needs of his own group or to fit his own method of leader- 
ship? 

c. Where did the set-up succeed best? In what respects did 
it fail ? 

d. What evidences did you note of the helpfulness of the 
leaders' training class? Where did the leader need help 
that the leaders' training class failed to give ? 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 77 

e. What were the main difficulties experienced by the leadef 
in the group discussion? What can the leaders' training 
class do to help the leader overcome these failures ? 

f. What were the most satisfactory aspects of the discus- 
sion? Just how freely did the members of the group take 
part? Why? 

2. Preparing to Lead a Second Discussion 

Ask each man to write down, in not more than two pages, on 
another study lesson: (If desired, a lesson may be chosen from 
the books mentioned on pages 17-18.) 

a. His teaching outline, including Purpose, Point of Contact, 
Main Points, Summary, Application. 

b. His teaching method: Just how would he use this as the 
basis of a discussion group. 

3. Who Shall Be the Leaders? 

a. Who are being used as leaders? 

b. What are the points in favor and against the use of chap- 
lains as leaders? Camp pastors? Secretaries? Com- 
missioned officers? Non-commissioned officers? Privates? 

4. Critical Examination of Stenographic Reports of Leaders' 
Training Classes 

Read carefully through one of the reports of a leaders' train- 
ing class given on pages 86-105. Write a brief criticism following 
questions under Topics for Discussion, pages 75-76. 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion VII, Choosing the Group Leaders) 
Home, "The Leadership of Bible Study Groups" : Chapter II, 

Qualifications for Group Leadership. 
Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher": Lesson XXI, The 
Ideal Teacher : Jesus. 

Notes on Conducting a Leaders' Training Class 
(Discussion VI) 
The secret of the success of leadership training is a weekly 
meeting of the leaders. The question is this: Is it possible to 
take men who have had no special training in group leadership, 
provided they have reasonable adaptability for such work, and by 



78 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

this weekly conference train them to be reasonably successful 
chairmen of discussion groups? 



The success of the leaders' training class depends upon several 
factors. 

1. Each leader should come prepared. He should have a 
tentative outline, so that if he had to lead a group within 
the next hour he would have a partial preparation for it. 
This means that each leader will come to the group with 
some ideas to give to the discussion. 

2. The leaders' training class is a place for the exchange of 
experience and suggestion. It is not a place for the di- 
rector to tell the group how to lead the discussion. 

3. The director of the leaders' training class should act as 
chairman. He may give his own suggestions in connec- 
tion with those of others ; but he should in no sense dic- 
tate. The best suggestions will come from the leaders 
themselves. He does not tell the group what to do. He 
does not conduct a Bible study class. The interest of the 
class is this : how to make the next group meeting a suc- 
cess. He is chairman of a number of persons who are 
together, trying to work out how they will lead their 
groups effectively. 

4. The director of the leaders' training class ought to be scribe 
for the class. A blackboard is most essential and the main 
ideas given by the members should be written down, so that 
they will be clearly before the conference. 



A typical leaders' training hour should include : 

1. Discussion of any special problems in the barracks or regi- 
ments. The leaders' training class is the clearing-house for 
plans for winning individual men and for affecting the bar- 
ack and company morale. If the discussion groups are 
to be the most effective, they must be planned week by 
week in the light of the needs and problems of the men. 
Any special developments ought therefore to be reported 
and any special plans for barrack work be formed. Here 
is the place also to inspire the leaders to bring personal 
religious counsel to the members of their groups and in 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 79 

the respective groupings of men for which they are re- 
sponsible. 

2. Discussion of the failures and successes of the last group 
meeting. This is necessary if mistakes are to be eliminated 
and progress made. Ask : "Who had an especially good 
discussion this last meeting? Describe it. What was the 
secret of the success?" "Who had a particularly difficult 
time? Describe what you did. Why did the soldiers fail 
to respond in frank discussion?" In this way, all will 
learn from the successes or failures of each. 

The leaders' training class should also give the oppor- 
tunity for the discussion of any questions too difficult for 
the leader of the group to handle. An inexperienced leader 
should not hesitate to say to the members of his group : 
"I really do not know. Let me take that up at the leaders' 
training conference this week, and I will report to you the 
result of the discussion." 

3. The preparation of a teaching outline on the topic or study 
for the next group meeting. 1 The preparation of this out- 
line for the next group meeting will probably occupy one- 
third to one-half of the time. In general it will be found 
that unity will be given to the discussion if the director 
handles this preparation under the following topics in a 
teaching outline and in the order suggested : 

a. The Problem 

Locate specifically the problem of the men along the 
line of the study under consideration. Why is this a 
good study or topic for the men in your group? 

b. The Goal 

Specifically what do you want to see accomplished by 
the discussion group in relation to this problem or need ? 

c. Main Points and Significant Scripture 

What are the two or three points which ought to be 
emphasized, leading up to the goal or purpose? 

What Scripture should be used? How should it be 
handled ? 

d. Application 

Where is this study most significant in the lives of 
the men? What should be the application? 



1 The conference went through this process in Discussion III. 



80 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

e. Point of Contact 

How can we open the discussion so that it will cap- 
ture the interest of the men, focus attention upon the 
main problem of the discussion, and lead up to the 
consideration of the main points? 
In the actual conduct of the group hour, the group leader will 
not state the problem nor the goal. These are for himself, so that 
he can lead his group intelligently. He will commence with the 
point of contact, develop the main points leading to the general 
truth, and consider the application. In the leaders' training con- 
ference, however, it is better to follow the order given above. 

Note further just what is needed in each point under consid- 
eration in forming a teaching outline. 

a. The Problem. In general if the group will work out in 
two or three clear statements the actual problem of the men, for 
instance, on temptation, or on relation to the war, clarity and 
definiteness will result in the whole normal training hour. Our 
purpose in the groups is to meet the dominant needs and problems 
of the men. Certainly, the first essential to meeting these problems 
is to understand them thoroughly. Too much of our speaking and 
discussion group work is aimed in general rather than with the 
specific needs of the specific men in mind. Let the director put 
these on the board as suggested. 

b. The Goal or Purpose. What do we want to accomplish 
specifically in relation to the problem? This should be stated in 
a single, clear sentence. A number of suggestions will come from 
those present at the leaders' conference. Let the chairman write 
each suggestion on the board, even if there are eight or ten differ- 
ent ones given. Keep an eraser and chalk in hand. Have the 
group work on these suggestions, eliminating and combining. As 
the suggestions are made, the director can change, re-write, erase, 
combine. Usually there will emerge after some discussion a goal 
which is clear-cut and which represents the united conviction of 
all. This will give unity in the subsequent discussion and a united 
drive to the discussional group meetings. 

c. Main Points. These should be preferably not more than 
two or three. If it is a Bible lesson, the significant Scripture 
should also be indicated. The same method of using the black- 
board is helpful. Write the purpose as finally decided at the top 
of the blackboard. Then let the director of the class write down 
the points and Scripture as suggested, even if there are eight or 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 81 

ten. He will, of course, rule out any, even though they may be 
good in themselves, which are not related directly to the goal or 
aim agreed upon. He will ask the group then to erase, modify, 
combine, to boil the matter down to two or three main points. It 
is interesting to note how a group can carry on this revision to- 
gether, provided the director will act as chairman and use the 
blackboard freely. 

d. Application. Sometimes a formal application is not neces- 
sary, as the whole discussion has been upon a real problem. Again, 
the discussion may be given to a question which is stated in the 
diagnosis of the soldier's problems. The main points may deal 
with the principle involved and the application may go back again 
to the problem raised to test the meaning of the principle in rela- 
tion to the problem. For instance, "Can a man be a Christian and 
a good fighter at the same time ?" might be the problem. The dis- 
cussion would be given to the examination of Jesus' attitude, reach- 
ing a conviction as to Jesus' insistence upon good will and the 
difference in his life between indignation and hatred. Then the 
application would be the discussion of the significance of this 
principle and its meaning in making a better fighting soldier. Again 
the application may be made to other problems. In every case 
they must be questions of genuine significance in the life of the 
men or of the company or of the nation. 

e. Point of Contact. The introduction is the connecting link 
between the group members and the main points of the lesson. 
How can we capture the interest of the men? This is done by tak- 
ing hold of some incident or problem or question which is within 
the range of their experience. How can zve focus attention upon 
the problem? This will be handled in the point of contact. Some 
real interest or some actual problem in the experience of the group 
must be discovered which will hold the attention of the men and 
lead them naturally to the material of the week's lesson. The 
diagnosis of the soldier's problems gives suggestion as to a point 
of contact and it will frequently simply be the statement of the 
problem in question form; as, Can a man be a Christian and a 
good fighting soldier at the same time? Several possible points 
of contact may emerge, depending upon the individual experi- 
ences of the various groups. 

Guard the two dangers in the use of the point of contact, 
already mentioned in a previous Discussion. It must not absorb 
too much time and interest, probably five minutes at the most. If 



82 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

the discussion becomes too hot, it is difficult to turn to the main 
points of the lesson. Be sure there is a natural transition from 
the point of contact to the main points of the lesson. A transition 
question may be necessary to prevent a distinct jar. 

A study of these various parts of a lesson plan can easily be 
made by examining again the lesson outlines in Discussion III, 
pages 27-30. 

f. Give adequate attention to methods of conducting the group 
hour. 2 This is the most important question for a training class and 
should be given one-fourth to one-third of the time. How shall 
we use this lesson plan as the basis for an interesting discussion? 
Here is where most leaders' training conferences fail. They give 
the leader plenty of material. He even goes away with a carefully 
worked-out lesson plan. But he is helpless in using this material 
as the basis of an effective forty-five minute discussion. 

After the lesson plan is completed the leaders must work 
together on the methods of conducting the next discussion. If the 
secret of success were to be summed up in a phrase it would be 
this — good questions. And such questions can be worked out more 
effectively in the group together than they can by the leaders alone. 

The completed lesson plan should be left on the blackboard. 
Then the leaders together should plan for each section of the 
lesson plan — Point of Contact, Main Points, and Application — 
one or two or three key discussional questions. The chairman 
of the training conference will use the blackboard and write down 
first the questions that are suggested by the leaders on the point 
of contact. The members of the class will modify, change, phrase, 
and re-phrase, until finally one question or possibly two emerge 
which every person says will capture the interest of the group 
and lead up to the main points of discussion. Then attention will 
be focused on a transition question from the point of contact to the 
main points. Following this the principal question or topics for 
the main point of the lesson may be worked out. If it is a Bible 
lesson, particular care must be given to phrasing the questions on 
the Scripture. Here is where we fail most often. A question 
on the Scripture must do more than ask, What does this passage 
mean? It must bring out both the meaning of the Scripture and 
open the way for its implications in present-day life. A summary 
question is frequently necessary. Sometimes it will be necessary 
to phrase actual application questions. Again, the application ad- 



: The conference went through this process in Discussion IV. 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 83 

heres so thoroughly to the question on the main points that the 
discussion focuses upon application inherently. 3 

Experience has shown that several people together can phrase 
better questions than one person alone. So evident is this that 
now, in preparing voluntary study books, it is the practice for 
several persons to work together in the preparation of the topics 
for discussion. 



The following variations in the method suggested above of 
handling leaders' training classes are entirely feasible : 

1. Let each of two or three persons put a complete lesson 
outline and teaching method on the board and state briefly 
how he would lead the lesson. Compare, discuss, decide 
upon a joint lesson. 

2. Let several put the Purpose on the board, others the Main 
Points and Application, others the Point of Contact. 

3. If particular difficulty is being experienced in handling 
certain angles of teaching, such as asking questions, getting 
a good point of contact, using Scripture, let the greater 
part of the hour be given to working over this part of the 
material in a new lesson. Assign special readings. 

4. Let one member of the group put the teaching outline and 
the questions on the board and describe how he would 
lead the next group meeting. Others criticize, change, and 
then let them together work out the teaching method. 

5. Let several put the purpose on the board. Compare and 
decide upon a purpose. Then in the light of this purpose, 
let several put main points and application on the board. 
Compare and decide upon main points and application. 
Then think together on point of contact. 

6. Let an outline be put on the board. Spend all the time 
of the group hour phrasing questions and working on 
teaching method. 

***** 

The principles of group leadership are really best learned in 
connection with this actual work of the leaders' training class. 
General theoretical study of such principles usually fails to con- 
nect adequately with the problems of leadership, because the 



3 See pages 39-44 and 45-46 for suggestions on questions for various sections 
of Lesson Outline. 



84 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

leader is not leading his group and does not as yet feel the prob- 
lem with sufficient keenness. A number of the camps have made 
the mistake of spending five or six weeks training leaders in ad- 
vance of giving them groups. By the time the men had gone 
through this training they were transferred to another camp and 
the work lost. It was also a less effective method. One or two 
preliminary discussions on the whole viewpoint and method in the 
discussion group are necessary; but the working basis for the 
chairmanship of discussion groups can better be developed in 
connection with actual consideration of definite lesson plans and 
leadership methods. For instance, if the group leaders are having 
difficulty in working out a usable point of contact, then is the best 
time to give the suggestions on how to capture the interest of the 
group through the point of contact, and then is the time to assign 
special study and reading. If the leaders are having difficulty in 
phrasing questions and in understanding the type of topic which 
will stimulate discussion, just then, when the problem is keen, is 
the time to give any suggestions on the art of questioning and to 
assign supplementary reading. Set the leaders at the task, per- 
haps for a week or two as assistant leaders, but set them at it. 
Give them personal help and let the director visit the groups. 
As they face difficulties and failures in their work together, the 
principles can be learned. 

***** 

The following stenographic reports of a leaders' training 
class, if studied by the group, will be found to be of genuine 
service, not as models, but as showing how a leaders' training 
hour may be conducted. 

The stenographic reports are valuable as emphasizing certain 
things to do and not to do. 

1. They show the general method of conducting a leaders' training 
class. The leaders' training class focuses attention on how to 
lead the group. What are the problems of the men in your bar- 
racks ? What would you want to accomplish with them ? What 
are the points which you think would hit home with your men ? 
In this it differs radically from the regular Bible group session, 
for which it is a preparation. There the men are facing their 
problems, giving their ideas rather than setting up how they 
would lead a group. 

2. The director of the leaders' training conference is chairman 
of the discussion. He does not tell the leaders how he would 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 85 

lead the group or how he thinks they ought to. He does not 
say, "My purpose would be so and so ; I would make such and 
such points." Instead he says, "What are the problems of the 
men in your groups; what points do you think ought to be 
made?" There is a frank expression of opinion and inter- 
change of viewpoint. The outline, as the leaders' training 
class works it out, will frequently be very different from the 
outline which the director had prepared. It will also contain 
certain very valuable elements that the director's outline had 
omitted. The director, of course, should be free to give his 
suggestions along with the members of the group. He should 
be free to enrich the material and supplement it; but he must 
be careful not to dominate the discussion. His purpose will 
be to rule out entirely irrelevant material, to help in clarifying 
the suggestions made by the group, and to enrich the outline 
and the illustrative material out of his own study and experi- 
ence. But he must never forget that the outline, when it is 
completed, must not be his but the leaders'. 

3. It will be noted that constant use was made of a blackboard, 
in order that the suggestions made might be plainly before the 
group. The director wrote the main suggestions on the board, 
erased, changed, combined, until the leaders were satisfied. 

4. It is readily seen that this plan results not in absolute uniform- 
ity, but in unity. It gives a chance to bring to a whole regiment 
the same general drive. It gives an opportunity for the leader- 
ship of each to be enriched by the ideas of all. The stronger 
the leadership, the better the results. 

Demonstration Session of a Soldier Leaders' Training Class 

There were several factors in connection with the first outline 
reported below which prevented its being absolutely typical. 
(1) A number of persons were in the room observing the discus- 
sion, so there was a certain sense of giving an exhibition. (2) 
Further, the men had never been together before in a leaders' 
training class and had not learned to do team work. (3) They 
had not met the director of the class before the session and he 
was a stranger to them. (4) The plan to have such a class had 
been made the night previous, and so the soldiers had not had an 
opportunity to make sufficient preparation. 

This lesson lacked in the richness zvliich would have come had 
each soldier come with his lesson tentatively prepared. You will 



86 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

note that one or two confessed that they had not had a chance to 
prepare, due largely to the circumstances given above. 

Time should have been given for illustrations, for choosing 
a story for closing the discussion, for enriching the bare outline 
as given. Time did not permit in this brief hour, but more time 
would have been possible if the group had been meeting each week. 
Enough discussion should have been permitted on each point to 
bring out this illustrative material, but not enough to make it a 
Bible study discussion. 

One of the greatest weaknesses of this class hour tvas that no 
use zvas made of Scripture, and it does not show how Scripture 
material can effectively be used in connection with the class. 

The director took too large a proportion of the time. The 
stenographic report shows that he fell into a common fault of 
repeating what the men said and taking part almost every time a 
soldier said anything. One reason also for his taking so much 
time was that the class was not as free in discussion as it would 
have been had the men been together before and made more care- 
ful preparation. 

Special note should be made of the attention given to an under- 
standing of the personnel of the groups and the need and problems 
of the men. 

The stenographic report emphasizes the possibilities of giving 
inexperienced leaders skill through actual work at the task. These 
leaders had never met together and were having certain difficulties 
in leading groups. The best way to help them was not to give a 
series of lectures on how to lead a group, but set them at work 
planning how to lead such a discussion. It is easily seen what 
a chance the director would have to make assignment of special 
topics that would help, or to make suggestions himself as diffi- 
culties arose. For instance, one man said his main difficulty was 
to get discussions at all ; another to hold the group to the point. 
Both of these difficulties should have been given special attention 
in the leaders' training class, not in the abstract, but in connection 
with the lesson under consideration. In such a way men will gain 
confidence to lead discussions. 

Report of the Training Class 

Religious work secretaries and chaplains observing, five sol- 
diers (Cushing, Wood, Powell, Edwards, Clark) forming the 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 87 

class. The director had a blackboard for use. One or two had 
led groups; the others had been in discussion groups. 

Director: May I ask as a preliminary question, what did you 
find the biggest difficulty? Where did you have the most trouble 
in leading a group discussion? 

Edwards: In getting an adequate discussion. 

Director: What do you mean by an adequate discussion? 

Edwards: Getting discussion on the topic we have for dis- 
cussion. Too many of the men are apt to wander off. They will 
talk all night on some subject but they get off of the topic for 
discussion. 

Cushing: The trouble I find is that nobody will talk. Rather 
a bashful disposition among the men apparently. They like to 
hear somebody else talk. They won't say much themselves. 

Director: These are two opposites, in a way. Yours is that 
you can't get them interested at all, and Edwards' is that they 
won't stick to the point. 

Cushing: The discussion, if there is a discussion, seems to be 
confined to two or three or possibly four men, and the rest of them 
have very little to say. 

Director: Have you anything to add on that, Wood? 

Wood: I find the discussions themselves about satisfactory, 
but the main trouble is to get the men together. 

Director: When do you have them? 

Wood: I try to have them Monday nights. Sometimes we 
shift that around. 

Director: Let us spend a little time working out this study 
on a Soldier's Temptations. I want to try to find out where you 
think an interesting discussion would lie ; where the needs of the 
men are. (Director found the men had done but little preparation, 
as the training class was first announced the night previous, so the 
leader summarized the material in "The Soldier's Spirit" in the 
lesson on Temptation as follows:) 

In the lesson from the book we are using ("The Soldier's 
Spirit") there are five concrete temptations mentioned: Drinking, 
Immorality and Obscenity, Profanity, Vainglory or Pride, and 
Laziness. Then there is a suggestion on the value of temptation, 
and in the last part of the lesson there are practical suggestions 
on how to win over temptation. There is obviously more material 
than could possibly be covered in a single discussion — you could 
spend a year on it. But there are two questions I should like to 
get your suggestions on. Do you think that this is a genuinely 
good topic for a discussion group? 

(Several replies, "Yes.") 

Director: Why? 

Answer: Because it meets the gravest problems. 



88 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Answer: It meets a great many questions and difficulties in 
the right way. 

Director: If you had to choose from this material in the 
matter of emphasis for discussion — you can't cover it all— what 
would you pick out — or would you add something which is not 
here? Let us take some of the points you think by all means you 
would have to cover. 

Answer: The first, second, third, and seventh days. 

Director: Drinking, Profanity, Immorality, and How to Win. 
(Director writes these on board.) You think these are essential, 
even if you have to take three weeks to do it? 

Answer: Yes. 

Edwards: I think those are essential — in fact, I know they 
are, from my experience with the men. 

Director: — Let us stick to these, then, for the present. We 
may have to rule out more as we go on. In the next place, let me 
ask about the make-up of your groups. What branches of the 
Service are represented? 

Anszver: Soldiers present represent the artillery. 

Director: How many in your groups? 

disking: Fifteen to seventeen. 

Wood: Fifteen. 

Powell: Ten to twelve. 

Edwards: About fifteen; all different batteries. 

Director: Are the men educated, or ignorant? How would 
you grade them, as ordinary men, or not? Do they have special 
temptations or difficulties? 

Gushing : Mine are an average group. 

Wood: Mine are below the average, in education and from 
a moral standpoint, as in church attendance, etc. Some have never 
been in church or Y M C A before. 

Director: How about yours, Edwards? 

Edwards: I think they had all been in Y M C A and church 
before. 

Director: When you got your group together and were deal- 
ing with these questions, even if it took you two or three weeks, 
what would you want to get accomplished with that group? You 
bring them together, and after thirty or forty minutes, they go 
out again, and you want something worth while to have happened. 
What is it, definitely? 

Wood: I should first want to leave with them the thought 
that God is their helper to win over all these temptations. 

Director: That they can win, through God's help? (Writes 
on board — Goal: That they can win, through God's help.) How 
would you change it, Edwards? 

Edzvards: I wouldn't change it. 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 89 

Director: I want to know the definite thing, if you could have 
your way that hour, that you would like to see accomplished, more 
than just to say I want them helped. 

Cashing: I think the main thought you want to leave with 
them is that there is a way they can overcome these temptations 
and how to do it. 

Director: Then you would change this to read that they can 
win, and how ? ( Erases and changes so it reads — Goal : To show 
that they can win and how.) 

Clark : I would say the necessity of winning, and how. 

Director: That is, you feel that some of them don't care — 
they think they don't have to win? (Erases and changes so it 
reads — Goal: Necessity of winning and how to win through God's 
help.) 

Clark : Yes. They don't feel that they have to win — that they 
must win, and that they can win through God's help. 

Director: Then, that is the thing you would really want to 
see accomplished, Clark — when these fellows come in who don't 
care — to make them feel they must win ? 

Clark : Yes. 

Director: Let us put it then (writes on board) Goal: To 
make the men feel the necessity of winning, and how to win 
through God's help. 

What are the two or three points you would like to see made? 
If you were to pick out two or three things leading to this goal, 
what would they be? Have you a suggestion on that, Wood? 
Name one, anyway. 

Perhaps we can do it best by just taking one temptation, for 
instance — or would you want to take temptation in general ? 
Which would you do? 

Anszver: Temptation in general. 

Director: All right — what is the point you want to make on 
Temptation? You are trying to get to the goal, and are trying 
to get a couple of new or old ideas emphasized that you think 
will lead up to it, and make the men go away feeling the force 
of it. (Writes under Goal: Main Points.) 

Wood: There is one point that I think the men ought to have, 
and that is the seriousness of yielding, or playing with temptation. 
(Director writes it on board.) That is one point they don't 
think of. 

Director: That really ties up with part of your goal, by a 
little different approach. How about that, Edwards ? Would 
you change that ? 

Edwards: I don't know. 

Director: Would you use this point? Does it appeal to you ? 

Discussion followed as to whether "necessity of winning'' was 
necessary in order to give a motive for learning "how to win." 

Edzvards: No, I don't think it appeals to me. I would use the 



90 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

first point we made. That is what we got the group for. So for 
a goal I don't think I would use that — it is an absolute necessity 
to win. That is what we have the Bible class for. 

Director: How about that, Clark? Would you take that? 

Answer: I believe the}- have that feeling or they would not 
have the Bible class. 

Answer: I don't believe they feel the necessity. They come 
often because they are asked to. 

dishing: I think part of them come in merely for the nov- 
elty of it, to see what we are doing; and if you can impress upon 
them that they are there to get something out of it that will help 
them to do better, that is the point we have accomplished. 

Director: You would leave this point there, then? 

Cashing: I would. 

Director: Let us leave it then (as written on board). 

Main Points: 

1. Seriousness of Playing with Temptation. 

2. The Necessity of Winning. 

Now, is there any other point? We will get as many as we 
can handle. Is there anything else about Temptation you want 
them to feel ? 

Answer: The uselessness of yielding, and playing with it. 

CusJiing: Wouldn't that really come under that first heading? 

Director: I think it would. (Writes it down as sub-point.) 
Anything else on this, Powell ? What would you really make as 
your one point on this ? 

Answer: Seriousness has such a large meaning that it would 
cover a great deal. 

Director: I suppose it goes without our saying that the ap- 
plication is, How you are going to win? (Writes down on board 
Application: How to Win.) What are some of the suggestions 
you would want them to have in mind as to how they could win? 
Take it out of your own experience with the men as to what you 
would want them to have in their minds before they get away, 
as to how to win. 

Answer: The thought of those who are left behind. 

Cushing: I think a firm determination, and the help of God, 
are two of the main things. 

Director: Any other suggestions? 

Answer: Choice of companions. 

(Director writes these three on the board.) 

Director: Now, is there any change you would want? Would 
you be willing to face a group with that outline for a thirty minute 
discussion and get somewhere? 

Edwards: Well, I would, and I wouldn't. 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 91 

Director: All right, tell us where you would, and where you 
wouldn't. You helped make it. 

Edwards: How to win, should be the goal; that wouldn't 
change it much. 

Director: What do you feel is the weakness of the outline, 
from your viewpoint? Think about your group as if you had to 
face it tomorrow evening. 

Edwards: I have to face it tonight. The trouble with me 
is that I didn't look into this thing fully before I came in here ; 
but when I go to a Bible class or church, or such places, it is with 
the thought of being made better — it is with the thought of abso- 
lute necessity. I would want to make the men feel the necessity 
of winning, and show them how to win. 

Director: You are going to assume with your group that 
they want to win. That is your own adaptation; but would you 
still take The Seriousness of Playing with Temptation? 

Edwards: Yes, that is good. The Necessity of Winning is 
good. 

Director: All you would do would be to cross this out, and 
take as your goal to show how men may win? 

Edwards: Yes. 

Director: Does this outline get next to your men, or would 
something else hit them harder ? 

Edzvards: No, I think the outline is all right. 

(Others present think it all right.) 

Director: The Seriousness of Playing with Temptation, and 
The Necessity of Winning, then How to Win, including three sug- 
gestions on this point. Keep that in mind. 

(Erases outline.) 

Director: How do you think you could get the interest of 
those men you face? You are going to meet your group tonight, 
Edwards, and you don't want to preach to them, but want to make 
them prick up their ears, and listen. How are you going to com- 
mence ? 

Edzvards: Well, in our battery we would take this booze 
question, and that would take some time. 

Director: What you would do then would be to take this 
outline, but instead of taking Temptation in general, you would 
focus on booze and use this outline. Is that right? Would you 
choose the temptation, or will they choose it ? 

Edzvards: I would get them to choose it. Take booze as a 
beginning, and if it attracted their attention focus on that; if not, 
on gambling, or women — whatever takes their attention. Those 
three things come as strong temptations, and the one that appeals 
to them the strongest is the one we would take. 

Director: How would you capture their attention? 

Cushing: I am rather at a loss to know just what I would do. 



92 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Director: Powell, have you any suggestions? 

Powell: I would focus on one temptation. 

Director: You can see that it would be a possibility to ask 
these men what temptation would be the hardest to meet. You 
could begin in that way. What is the greatest temptation, Clark ? 

Clark : I don't know that I have any — not of those three any- 
way. 

Director: Now, Edwards, you were going to take booze. 
How are you going to get under way? 

Edwards: To get under way I am going to have one man 
read that topic from the book and then have them discuss it. 

Director: Well, how are you going to do it? You object that 
they scatter too much ; how are you going to keep them from it ? 
Is there any question you could ask about booze that would focus 
attention — you remember what the outline was, the seriousness of 
playing with it, and the necessity of winning — that is what you 
want to get at. Powell, have you any suggestion — any statement 
that would open up the question and focus attention? 

Powell: Yes, I would ask them if they ever saw anybody 
given to booze, and what they got out of it. 

Director: We might put it (writes on board) Did anybody 
ever get any good out of using booze? Or would it not be better 
to change it to, What good does a fellow get out of booze? That 
gives us a positive side. That might start something. Would 
that start anything in your group, Cushing? 

Cushing: I think it would have a tendency to. 

Director: Well, what is your next point? 

Answer: We will get a discussion if anyone believes in 
booze; if no one believes in it you can't. 

Answer: It is the man who believes in booze we want to get. 

Director: If there is no one in that group to whom booze is 
a problem, you might go on to the next temptation. 

Edwards: I don't believe there is a man in my class that 
believes in booze. 

Director: Are there any in your class that cuss? 

Edwards: Yes, plenty of them. 

(Others speak of the prevalence of it.) 

Director: Let us take cussing, then, instead of booze. What 
is your next question? 

Cushing: I think a very good question that was brought out 
in our class the other night was, Why does it seem to be the nature 
of most fellows to cuss? It seems to be the first thing they think 
of — or you might say, they do it without thinking — if something 
doesn't go just right. (Director writes question on board.) 

Director: That question would get at the uselessness and the 
seriousness of it, wouldn't it ? 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 93 

Cashing: Yes, sir. 

Director: Is there any other question on cussing? 

Answer: What satisfaction does a man get out of it? 

Director: Is there any other question on this? Of course, 
you could get a summary question, Why should a fellow keep on 
cussing? 

disking: Wouldn't that really be a sub-topic? 

Director: Yes, it would; but I am just trying to help you 
through with phrasing a few questions. I always have to phrase 
them in advance, before meeting with the group. How shall we 
put it? Why should a fellow keep on, or quit his swearing? 

Cashing : Their answer is, there may not be any reason why 
they should quit, and we have to put the point, Why should a 
fellow quit ? 

Director: We will put it, Should a fellow quit cussing? Why, 

or why not? (Writes it on board.) 

Answer: Some may not be willing to acknowledge that a 

fellow should quit. 

Director: Then I suppose the question would really be, What 
is the harm in cussing? and How can a fellow quit cussing? (writes 
on board). This is really your goal. You say it is second nature — 
natural as can be. Now, how are you going to bring this to the 
men? They will say several things, "Just make up your mind," 
"Control your temper," etc. If a fellow came to you and said he 
wanted to quit cussing, what would you suggest? 

Answer: I would tell him the same thing Billy Sunday did, 
every time you wanted to swear, sing "Brighten the Corner" and 
you wouldn't swear. 

Director: Now, there is another thing I want to know — how 
God would help a fellow to quit cussing, because that is going to 
be the stumper on this. It appears to me perfectly simple until it 
comes down to this — how God can help. Edwards, have you any 
suggestion ? 

Edwards: He can get the help of God through prayer. 

Director: Yes, but how are you going to bring this out in the 
group? In talking this over with a group, one fellow said he quit 
associating with the fellows that cuss. Another said, "I make 
up my mind to it, and just quit." Another said, "I fine myself 
every time I do it." There will be various things suggested. Now 
you want your men to come away feeling that if a man is a Chris- 
tian, a real believer in God, and is willing to pray, that prayer 
will help him. Now, how are you going to get discussion on that 
before you quit ? Some of these things a man will not win out on 
without prayer. Maybe he will on cussing, through sheer will 
power; but you know very well that when it comes to booze they 
will not win without the power of God. How are you going to 
make them feel that they will win out and have confidence that 
God will help a fellow? 



94 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Edwards: It is against the spirit of Christianity, and the 
Christian spirit to swear. 

Director: They will admit that. . . . On this outline I can't see 
at all but what you could ask two questions very definitely some- 
what along the line that another group suggested to me: How 
much can a friend who does not swear, or your family, or some 
friend who has stopped swearing, help a man ? And then ask 
him straight out, How much can God help you ? and, Does prayer 
help, and how does it help ? Some fellows have said that they had 
been cussing all their lives and when they became Christians they 
had been able to quit. How did becoming a Christian help ? 

The questions then stood on the board : 

What good does a fellow get out of cussing? 

Why does it seem to be the nature of most fellows to cuss ? 

What harm is there in cussing? Why should a fellow keep on? 

Should a fellow quit cussing ? Why or why not ? 

How can a fellow quit cussing? 

Does prayer help ? How ? 



A Student Leaders' Training Class 

The following extract from another leaders' training class 
illustrated a different method. In this class the director had asked 
two members of the class to report on how they would lead the 
discussion. The subject was The Social Value of the Church. 
(Rauschenbusch, "The Social Principles of Jesus," Chapter IX.) 
As the men reported, the director wrote the chief points on the 
blackboard. 

Student: To get it started, I would take the idea of how 
the thing works and I would say that we have to take the modern 
Church. 

What effect does it have upon the community? Upon the life 
of the community in zuhich it is located. Account for this. (Di- 
rector writes on board). 

Then I would probe into what is fundamentally wrong with 
the Church. (Director writes — What is fundamentally wrong zvith 
the Church), with such a question as to whether our worship is 
based upon the Word of God. 

Tben I would discuss the relation of ritual to real religion. 
(Director writes — What is the relation of ritual to real religion?) 

Then I would ask such a question as to why all Christians 
should be allied with a religious organization. (Director writes — 
Why should all Christians be allied zvith a religious organization?) 

Then I would take up a question such as this: According to 
Jesus' teachings what should be the attitude of church members 
to the members of the community? (Director writes this on the 
board.) 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 95 

Director: What response would you expect to get from that? 

Student: I think the response would he that the Church and 
the memher of the Church have a social responsibility to the mem- 
bers of the community. 

Director: Suppose they came back with that answer, what 
would be your next question ? 

Stiidcnt: The next thing would be: How could the Church 
express it? 

(Director writes this on the board.) 

Director: Yes, that would focus our attention on the question 
of yesterday — What is the relation of the Church to other organ- 
izations? 

The outline then stood on the board : 

What effect does the Church have on the life of the community 
in which it is located? Account for this. 

What is fundamentally wrong with the Church? 

What is the relation of ritual to real religion? 

Why should all Christians be allied with a religious organi- 
zation ? 

According to the teachings of Jesus, what should be the atti- 
tude of the church members to the community? 

How can the Church express this responsibility ? 

The director then asked the group to criticize this outline. 

The director then called for another member of the class to 
tell how he would lead the group (director writing down the main 
points.) 

Student: I think I would follow a somewhat different tack. 
There is a strong passage in James I wanted to use. 1 would have 
for my purpose that if we really express the spirit of Christ in 
our lives, religion must be a social dynamic — Jesus must be the 
social dynamic. 

(Director writes "purpose" on board.) 

Then to begin our questions : 

I would ask for my first one, What is religion from the Chris- 
tian point of viezv? (Director writes on board), and use for my 
answer if they do not answer for me, James 1:2/. 

Director: Why do you not ask more directly what is the 
viewpoint of James, provided they do not reply? 

Student: I think he expresses the Christian view. Then I 
would ask if its social value is a good criterion for a man's re- 
ligion. (Director writes on board.) Then I would follow that 
up with the question as to whether the social side of religion should 
be paramount. (Director writes on board.) Then this question, 
Should a man who feels that his social duty conflicts witli the can- 
ons of religion do his duty? (Director writes this on the board.) 

Director: What do you expect to get from that? 

Student: I expect a lively discussion on Sabbath observance 
and on many other things. 



96 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Director: What are the canons of religion? 

Student: I think the old pharisaical idea of religion — this 
cut-and-dried idea of religion — I think going to church is the 
whole idea of religion to these people. Or there is the man who 
is so hard-headed that he cannot see any man's viewpoint in the 
matter of religion. 

And then I would raise this question : Should any man risk 
his reputation and therefore his influence by associating with sin- 
ners? (Director writes this on board.) 

That question would raise the matter of Christ's association 
with the publicans and sinners. 

Director: Yes, you would focus on Jesus' attitude. 

Student: Yes, and then finally, is a man a real follower of 
Christ when he lives a clean, moral life and is faithful in his wor- 
ship, but does not take any part in carrying forward Christ's pro- 
gram — if he is simply a hearer and not a doer, is he a Christian? 

This placed on the board the following outline : 

Purpose: To show that if we really possess the spirit of 
Christ, religion must be a social dynamic. 

1. What is religion from the Christian point of view? 

2. Is its social value a good criterion for a man's religion? 

3. Should the social side of religion be paramount ? 

4. Should a man who feels that his social duty conflicts with 
the canons of religion do his duty? 

5. Should any man risk his reputation and therefore his influ- 
ence by associating with sinners? 

6. Is a man a real follower of Jesus when he lives a clean, 
moral life and is faithful in his worship, but does not take 
any part in carrying forward Christ's program ? 

Discussion then followed on this outline. 

Student: That one question, If a man feels his social duty, 
and so forth — why a man can feel almost anything. I do not like 
the word feel. 

Director: You would make a change there? 

Student: Yes, we might say convinced. The thing that raised 
that question in my mind was Christ's healing the lame, etc., on 
the Sabbath day. I was trying to make a general question for our 
modern day on that. 

Director: But you would have to discuss the Sabbath ques- 
tion before you could take that up. 

Student: Is that not sometimes a better approach to a Scrip- 
ture passage than this more direct one ? 

Director: How would you handle this question? 

Student: I would say, "Let us turn to this passage and see 
what Jesus would do under such circumstances." 

Director: Was that your point? 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 97 

Student: I was thinking, for example, of our own school. 
There was a faculty member who did more than anyone else in 
saving Freshmen when they were going their two-forty downward 
course, and simply because she associated with these boys and 
took them into her room, she was criticized and blamed by the 
rest of the faculty. As I sat in her room at the close of the 
school year, she told me how she had been persecuted for standing 
with the students. 

The director then suggested a possible re-phrasing of the 
second question, Is its social value a good criterion for a man's 
religion? to make it read, How much can you tell of a man's re- 
ligion by his social action, or how much can you judge a man's 
religion by his social action? 

Student: Then there is that last question of carrying for- 
ward Christ's program. 

Director: You had better say Christ's social program. 

Student: Christ's program is social. 

Director: What about that suggestion? 

Student: I do not think we would have that question in our 
group if we had made any progress. 

Another Student: Suppose we are thinking of some elders in 
the church that I know, deacons even. They do not do a single 
thing. They are just so much dead wood. They simply make a 
big splash. 

Director: The trouble with the outline is that you have too 
much yes and no material. Can we not re-phrase the questions? 

Student: Question three changed to, what emphasis should 
be placed on the social side of religion? 

Director: Right you are. Now let us take this again. Ques- 
tion two is a good question for starting because it means a diag- 
nosis or approval of the social value of the Church. Rauschen- 
busch asks the question: What is the value of a first-rate minister 
and a church in the community? 

(The director then suggested certain rearrangement in the 
order of the questions in order to make the transition more smooth. 
He also criticized the outline in that it did not give sufficient 
attention to Scripture. After the opening question, How much 
emphasis should be put on the social side of religion, rephrasing 
of question three, he suggested we turn to the Scripture under the 
question: What was Jesus' test of religion? Two or three sub- 
questions would be necessary in order to bring out Jesus' test of 
religion, and this would leave questions four, five and six, after 
being re-phrased from the yes and no form, as Application ques- 
tions.) 

The director then called upon one of the members of the group 
for a story to use in closing the lesson. He then gave attention to 
suggestions on the assignment of the new lesson which dealt with 
The Cross as a Social Principle, speaking to the group as follows : 



98 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Director: I had thought that we would work over the matter 
of assignment of a lesson today. I was thinking myself that I 
would focus attention in this way on the new assignment : How 
much suffering did Jesus offer His followers if they would join in 
His enterprise? (I want attention focused — you think this out — 
upon the sacrifice.) How much would it really cost, if a man were 
to be an active Christian? 

Rauschenhusch asks : "Does the ordinary religion today put 
a man in line for a cross or for a job as bank director?" We 
should focus attention in the new discussion upon how much sac- 
rifice would really come if a man lived up to Jesus Christ's prin- 
ciples. 

ifc JJC 5$C $Z 5JC 

A Second Student Leaders' Training Class 

This illustrates how a report can be secured on the previous 
normal training class session. It is also a very good illustration of 
how by interchange of conviction finally a good teaching outline 
can be worked out. In addition to this the part which the director 
may take in suggestions and additions is very well exemplified. 

Director: Did any person try the topical method this morn- 
ing ? How did it work ? 

(The previous leaders' training class had worked out topics 
to be assigned for report as a variation from the discussional 
method.) 

Student: I tried it and it worked nicely. 

Director: What have you to suggest? 

Student: The next time I shall prepare more questions on 
the topics. There was great danger that the ones who gave them 
were interested and the others showed rather a lack of interest. I 
think that was due to my arranging of it. I simply gave the topics 
to them and they reported on them. It took too long a time. I 
could have divided the subject and given the different sides to 
various ones. 

Director: That is a very pertinent comment. 

Another Student: I used the topics. We had difficulty. I 
did not get at the good in the material. The topics occupied so 
much of the time, I somehow failed to bring them back to the 
biblical material. I think it is very much worth while as a method, 
and it was simply my fault more than anything else. 

Director: Anyone else? 

A Student: I used it in our group. I think they spent too 
much time on their reports. 

Director: You think the topic ought not to be quite so ex- 
haustive ? 

Student: I think it is a good method, but I think there were 
too many topics. 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 99 

The director then spoke of the possibility of working out a 
single topic which could be used for one-half to two-thirds of the 
whole period, and reported that he found himself using tbe con- 
versational method, that is, when the group's discussion led along 
a line which if followed to the logical conclusion the group would 
object to, he as leader himself stated the implications of their 
comment and really drove them to face the outcome of their view- 
point. This led to the group coming back with its own comment 
and suggestion. 

Report was then given on two or three groups as to how 
special problems were handled. The normal training class then 
turned to the working out of an outline of the new lesson which 
was the lesson assigned at the close of the first student normal 
training class (see bottom page 97). 

The study was from Rauschenbusch, "The Social Principles of 
Jesus," Chapters X and XI, The Conflict with Evil, and The Cross 
as a Social Principle. 

Director: If you were leading a group with these four or five 
daily reading passages, what would you want to get accomplished 
by it? Has anybody a purpose that he wants to suggest? 

Student: A man must have a willingness to sacrifice in any- 
thing he goes to do. 

(Director writes on board as he states it) Purpose: 

To show that a man must be willing to sacrifice in whatever 
he goes into. 

Director: Any criticisms or suggestions? 

Student: That hardly includes the idea. 

Another Student: I think that the idea should be brought in 
that only by sacrifice and conflict can the Kingdom of God be 
advanced; that is, by conflict involving sacrifice. 

(Director writes second purpose : Sacrifice and conflict neces- 
sary to advancing the Kingdom of God.) 

A Student: We will have to show that the cross is the only 
remedy for the evils existing. 

Director: What else? 

Another Student: To show that evil exists in an organized 
form and in a personal form, and to show forth the principles of 
Christ which are to he used in overcoming evil and in establishing 
the Kingdom. 

(Director writes this on board.) 

Director: Anybody else? 

Another Student: Mine was a restatement of the last. _ My 
purpose was to discover the Christian's attitude toward individual 
and social unrighteousness. 

(Director writes this on board.) 



100 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

Another Student: To determine how best to cope with the 
forces of evil and the guilty. 

(Director writes this on board.) 

Director: Anybody else? 

There were then written on the board the following possible 
statements of purpose: 

1. To show that a man must be willing to sacrifice in what- 
ever he goes into. 

2. Sacrifice and conflict necessary to advancing the Kingdom 
of God. 

3. To show that the cross is the only remedy for the evils 
existing. 

4. To show that evil exists in an organized form and in a 
personal form, and to show forth the principles of Christ 
which are to be used in overcoming evil and in establishing 
the Kingdom. 

5. To discover the Christian's attitude toward individual and 
social unrighteousness. 

6. To determine how best to cope with the forces of evil and 
the guilty. 

Director: Well, which one of these will we go after? Some- 
where there is a combination of these that would give us the pur- 
pose we want. Which one can be the purpose, tomorrow, the kind 
of purpose you would want to make the one with which to close 
this course? Which one appeals to you assistant leaders? Here 
we have sacrifice, conflict, and the cross. Then comes in the more 
indefinite form, that of using methods. Do you want to drive 
home sacrifice or the conflict and law of sacrifice ? 

Student : It is the concluding lesson. Because of that I would 
want by all means to use a purpose emphasizing sacrifice. 

Another Student : I think the second is the sharpest — only by 
conflict involving sacrifice can the Kingdom be advanced. 

Director: We can reverse this. Is there anything that is not 
here that you would like to see added? 

A Student: I would like to have the idea of the social sig- 
nificance of sacrifice brought out. We generally put an individual 
interpretation upon it, do we not? 

Another Student: But you have it there. It is to advance 
the Kingdom. 

Director: Well, why not make sure by putting in that social 
idea? 

Student: But do we not generally associate the cross with 
individual salvation? Here we want to show the cross as a social 
principle. We have not gotten that over to the people in our 
churches. The element of sacrifice must have the social objective. 

Another Student: If you had reference to the vicarious suf- 
fering of Christ, would that take it? 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 101 

Director: That is good — (writes on board) To show that 
only by vicarious suffering involving conflict and sacrifice can the 
Kingdom be advanced. 

One of the members of the group then suggested an entirely 
different approach for the new lesson, which the director ruled 
out as being irrelevant to the purpose decided upon. 

The director then erased the board, writing at the top the 
purpose determined — Purpose: To show that only by conflict in- 
volving vicarious suffering can the social end of the Kingdom be 
advanced. 

Director: Has anybody certain points to make? 

Student: I would put down that evil is always with us, and 
that it is organized. 

(Director writes this on board.) 

Same Student: I put down that love is the instrument of 
fighting, and then the necessity of heavy burdens. 
(Director writes on board.) 

Director: Do you use any particular Scripture when you do 
this? 

Student: The first is based upon the story of the tares; the 
second is based upon Paul's saying about heaping coals of fire on 
your enemy ; the last rests on Christ's saying about taking up our 
cross and following him. 

Director: Has anybody any suggestions on these three 
points ? 

Student: That story of the tares, it occurs to me, is the atti- 
tude of Christianity, of a Christian towards the hypocrite in the 
Church. 

Director: That is a very good narrative; but the only ques- 
tion I have to raise is whether it falls into our regular line. You 
are really on the other line. Just hold that for a moment. Are 
there any changes you would make in this? (Points to the three 
ideas already written on the board.) 

Student: I would put in "burden" for "sacrifice." 

Another Student: I was thinking of the idea Rauschenbusch 
worked out — that the man does the most who is the best educated. 
Not necessarily sacrifice. 

Director: You would say that vicarious suffering is not nec- 
essary. Sometimes there is a heavy burden without it. 

Student: At the same time there should be something about 
the vicarious element, it seems to me. 

Director: Well, the necessity of carrying the heavy load, 
even to the extent of vicarious suffering, if necessary. (Director 
changes the ideas written on the board to read thus.) 

Has anybody else any point to make ? 

Student: I would put the whole thing from Jesus' angle — 



102 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

his acceptance of suffering and death and his suffering for a divine 
cause. 

(Director writes on board.) 

Director: Now, where is our point of contact? Where do 
we want to get under way in this lesson? 

Student: I would try to link up the question of sacrifice, 
bringing out the point and apply it to the student's life ; that is, 
the way that sacrifice would come home to men in college. 

Director: You would make that an application rather than a 
point of contact? 

(Director writes it on the board under Application.) 

Student: Yes. 

Another Student: I would suggest, to what extent in the 
present war have we a conflict between good and evil ? 

(Director writes on board under Point of Contact.) 

Another Student: Over there I have that point. Evil is al- 
ways with us. There I have the question : Is there such a thing 
as a necessary evil ? We hear people say some evils are necessary. 

(Director writes this on board under Point of Contact.) 

Director: What do you think of that? 

Studctit: I think that is a very good live point. 

Another Student: What constitutes bearing a cross? 

Director: That ought to be placed in the application. What 
constitutes bearing a cross in present-day Christianity? (Writes 
it as point 2 under Application.) 

Another Student: I thought we should bring out the idea 
that the cross is a voluntary thing, rather than a thing that is 
imposed. I think we should stress the fact that it is taken up 
voluntarily. 

Director: Has anybody else a suggestion? 

Another question : How great a sacrifice is required to be a 
Christian today ? 

(Director writes this on the board.) 

Another student suggested this question : Estimate the com- 
parative strategy of Christianity and that of the forces of evil. 

The director expressed a fear that the point of contact ques- 
tion, "To what extent in the present war have we a conflict be- 
tween good and evil?" would take us into limitless discussion; that 
a point of contact question should be a question which simply 
opened up the discussion. 

Some discussion followed in which the group ruled in favor of 
leaving this question. 

The director then called attention to the fact that this left 
two possible approaches; either, To what extent in the present zvar 
have we conflict between good and evil? or, Is there such a thing 
as a necessary evil? 

The director then asked for the question on the passage re- 
garding the tares which had been selected as one of the Scripture 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 103 

references. After discussion the group settled on this : From the 
parable of the tares what do we learn as to Jesus' method of estab- 
lishing the Kingdom? (Director writes this on the board.) Some- 
one suggested : What do we learn as to Jesus' attitude toward 
evil or toward evil in the world? 

Another student suggested this question: Is love a greater 
power than force, or should they be used together ? 

Director: Have you any criticism on this question? 

Student: The criticism is ultimately that the first part is 
answered by yes or no, and the second part of it is answered by 
yes or no. Is love a greater power than force? Yes or no. 
Should they be used together ? Yes or no. I would put it in this 
way: In what relation do force and love stand ? 

Another Student : Or, To what extent should force be mingled 
with love in combating evil? 

Director: Yes. Or, What is the relation of force to love in 
combating evil? We must always avoid a question that does not 
give a chance for discussion. 

(Director writes this question on the board.) 

Student: That is based upon a false assumption and we must 
discuss what place each has. 

Another Student: There is a great contrast in the two state- 
ments of Jesus. One is in John 18:36 — "My kingdom is not of this 
world." Then the other is in Matthew 11:12 — "The kingdom of 
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." In 
what sense is the term violence used? It is used in the sense of 
power or dynamite. This man, Rauschenbusch, says that when 
we call out the militant spirit in Christianity, we summon a dan- 
gerous power. What is the militant spirit Jesus Christ permitted 
in religion? I just throw that out. I think he summoned the 
highest. 

Director: Now, that is a good question: What is the militant 
spirit, and how much did Jesus permit it in religion? 

(Director writes it on the board.) 

The director then, pointing to the questions on the board, sug- 
gested that half of the lesson be given to the discussion of the 
questions about the need of fighting evil, as follows : 

1. To what extent in the present war have we a conflict be- 
tween good and evil ? 

2. Is there such a thing as a necessary evil ? 

3. From the parable of the tares what do we learn about 
Jesus' method of establishing the Kingdom? (Attitude 
toward evil.) 

4. What is the militant spirit and how much did Jesus permit 
it in religion? 

5. What is the relation of love to force in fighting evil ? 

The director then suggested that they take up the whole ques- 
tion of sacrifice, using first the question already suggested : How 



104 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

great sacrifice is required today to be a Christian ? He wanted 
to get an examination of those passages in which Jesus promised 
his disciples suffering and a hard time. These might be the ques- 
tions : 

What did Jesus promise his disciples if they carried on his 
work ? 

Why did Jesus challenge his disciples with this program of 
suffering? 

Why is it that it costs so little suffering today to be a Chris- 
tian? 

Then take the question already suggested and written on the 
board : 

What constitutes the bearing of the cross in present-day Chris- 
tianity ? 

The director then showed from the board that all he had done 
with the outline, after it had been worked out, was to insert one 
or two questions for an examination of the Scripture passages on 
suffering, namely: What did Jesus offer his disciples if they fol- 
lowed him, and why did he challenge them with suffering?" 
Rauschenbusch wants to know whether, if you do not suffer, it 
means that you are not a good Christian. 

Director: I think that ought to be raised, because sometimes 
a man does not have to face suffering and we must not put suffer- 
ing up as a fetish. I think we might put up the question: In 
what ways does Christianity challenge to heroic and sacrificial 
action today ? Has anybody any other suggestion ? 

Student: Do we leave the men with the idea that religion 
is a lugubrious sort of thing, and that we are going to get out of 
some sort of Gehenna through suffering and sacrifice ? After all, 
the missionary spirit gives us joy. 

Director: There is that question. That is good. What is 
the element in Christianity that takes the edge off suffering and 
sacrifice? 

Student: My idea was in the words : "Who for the joy," etc. 

Director: Why not phrase it like this: Is suffering the final 
result? 

Student: What is the counteracting element in the Gospel to 
the gloomy side of suffering and sacrifice? 

Another Student: The compensation. 

Student : But are joy and suffering the final result? What is 
the result of suffering and sacrifice? 

A Student : I had a question there. I think I would ask, Hozv 
do you understand the paradox of Jesus about the losing of life and 
the gaining of life? 

Student: That is Matthew 10:39. 

Director: How ivould you interpret the paradox of saving 
life and finding it? (Writes this on the board.) 



CONDUCTING A LEADERS' TRAINING CLASS 105 

Student: If you ask that and keep right at that and refuse to 
be sidetracked, they will all see that the end of suffering and sac- 
rifice, such as there is, is to gain something. 

Director: You will remember Jesus speaks of two rewards. 
He says, ''Blessed are ye, when men shall persecute you." He had 
the positive side. Two of these suffering passages have the vic- 
torious note at the close of them. 

Student: I think if you hold to the general statement you will 
get nearer to the truth. It may seem to a man a great sacrifice to go 
into the heart of Africa as a missionary, but suppose that his out- 
look is completely transformed and all values are revalued; then 
it may be an extremely delightful thing to do. 

The director made some final suggestions and the normal 
training class adjourned. 



DISCUSSION VII 
CHOOSING THE GROUP LEADERS 

Topics for Discussion 

1. Report on Visitation of Discussion Groups 
(See Assignment, page 76, for Topics.) 

2. Written Report on Discussion Outline 

a. Discussion outline. 

b. Discussion method. 
(See Assignment, page 77.) 

3. Who Shall Be the Leaders of the Discussion Groups? 

a. Who are leading groups now? 

b. What success have secretaries had in leading discussion 
groups? What are the difficulties in the way of their 
success? The disadvantages? The advantages? 

c. What are the chaplains doing in the way of Bible group 
leadership? The camp pastors? How can they best 
help? 

d. What are the possibilities of using business or profes- 
sional men from outside the camp? 

e. What success have you had in using soldiers ? What 
has been the secret of the success of those who have 
made a success ? Why have those who failed made a 
failure? Can these causes of failure be eliminated? 
Do you believe in soldier leadership? Why, or why 
not? 

f. How can we find soldiers suitable for group leaders? 

g. Can soldiers be trained to make a success of discussion 
group leadership? If so, how? Is it worth the effort? 

h. What are the essential qualifications of a discussion 
group leader ? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion VIII, Organizing Discussion Groups) 

1. Organizing Discussion Groups. Get clearly in mind the 
actual situation in the camp under consideration — how the 
barracks are located, or tents on the company streets, or 

106 



CHOOSING THE GROUP LEADERS 107 

the buildings in the fort. Describe how you would handle 
the organization of discussion groups in the barracks or 
tents surrounding the Y M C A building. 

2. Studying a Lesson. Select a third study from one of the 
books mentioned on page 17, or a chapter, incident, or para- 
ble from the life of Jesus. Study this lesson with a view 
to leading a discussion group of soldiers. Finish your 
preparation, including a teaching outline and teaching 
method. Then write a brief description of just what you 
did to prepare this study. 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion VIII, Organizing Discussion Groups) 
Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach": Chapter VII, How 

Thinking May Be Stimulated; Chapter XIV, How to 

Study. 
Moore, "What Is Education?" Chapter VI, Learning by and 

for Doing. 
Home, "The Leadership of Bible Study Groups," pages 26-32. 
Home, "Story Telling, Questioning, and Studying": Chapter 

III, The Art of Studying. 

Notes on Choosing the Leaders 

(Discussion VII) 
In searching for leaders, the fundamental qualifications for 
successful leadership of a discussion group must be understood. 
How would you change the following ? 

1. Soldier's viewpoint 

If the discussions are to touch vitally the needs and problems 
of the men, the leader must understand the soldier's situation and 
be able, even if he is not a soldier, to see life through the soldier's 
eyes. 

2. Some natural qualities of leadership 

The leader of a discussion group need not be the most popular 
man in the company; but unless he has some qualities which 
enable him to rally other men around him, he is likely to fail in 
his leadership of the discussion group. This qualification would 
seem to be all the more important in view of the responsibility 
which the discussion group leader must take in forming barrack 
sentiment and in sponsoring a barrack program. 



108 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

3. Some adaptability to teaching or leadership of a group 

A discussion group leader is not necessarily a trained teacher. 
His business is more that of chairmanship of a group. But unless 
he has some natural adaptability for this sort of work, he is greatly 
handicapped. Do not choose for the leader of a discussion group 
a phlegmatic, slow-thinking individual. He needs to be one who 
is alert, quick in seeing the viewpoint of other people, and able 
to handle himself readily in relation to others. 

4. Ability to be a leader rather tlian a talker 

The man who always absorbs the entire conversation cannot 
lead a discussion well. Avoid the minister who never gives another 
person a chance in a religious meeting, but always preaches; the 
teacher who always conducts his lesson on the lecture basis ; the 
business man or soldier who in private conversation monopolizes 
the time. 

5. Willingness to take time to make a success of group leadership 

This does not involve a prohibitive amount of time, but the 
group leader must make personal preparation. Particularly, if he 
is an inexperienced leader, he will need to attend the leaders' 
training class. He will need to pay the price of success in personal 
preparation and in training. 

In some camps, the leadership of Bible or discussion groups 
is covered largely by chaplains, camp pastors, and Y M C A secre- 
taries. The advantages of such leadership are these : It gives the 
help of more mature and expert men. Other things being equal, 
they know life more broadly and have had more training in leader- 
ship and Bible teaching. Such men can also be depended upon 
more fully as they are giving their entire time to this sort of work. 

The difficulties in the use of these mature leaders are three. 
First, they frequently fail to get into the life of the men and to 
secure as frank a discussion as does the soldier. Second, they 
are not living with the men day after day and consequently cannot 
become so effectively leaders in barrack movements and in the 
whole formation of sentiment ; these leaders simply come for the 
discussion group and then leave. Third, there are not enough 
of these leaders available for discussion groups. 

jfc 5^ ^ *£ 'K 

Other camps make wide use of business and professional men 
from an adjoining town or city. One camp has gathered practi- 



CHOOSING THE GROUP LEADERS 109 

call}' all of its leadership from two adjoining cities and has one 
man giving full time to finding and enlisting these outside leaders. 
Such outside leaders keep the men in the camp in touch with the 
outside world. They become frequently, in a real sense, big 
brothers to a squad or a company. They also bring a certain 
maturity to the leadership. 

The disadvantages lie in the fact that they are not in touch 
with the camp and camp life and, therefore, do not team as fully 
with the whole plan of the Association; in the fact that there is 
little opportunity to give them training; and in the difficulty in 
most camps of securing a sufficient number of such leaders. 



Other secretaries have a conviction that we must depend 
largely upon soldier leadership, using chaplains, secretaries, and 
others more largely in a supervisory capacity and in supplementing 
soldier leadership in such barracks or companies as have not yet 
developed soldier leadership. Three questions demand attention : 

First, are we forced to train soldiers for leaders, or else give 
up the idea of having small groups? Even with one large class 
for each company, it is almost impossible to find enough chap- 
lains, secretaries and outside leaders to supply the need, and 
if we think in terms of groups small enough to allow discussion, 
the leadership problem becomes still more difficult. 

Second, many feel that it is better in any case to have an 
indigenous leadership. The outside leader is in the barracks only 
occasionally, usually only for the group meeting ; the soldier is 
one of the bunch. He becomes, along with the president of the 
company council, the leader of the company sentiment. He helps 
in putting into effect the convictions of the discussion group. 
With a soldier leader, these men say it is more possible to use 
the discussion group as a center for forming barrack ideals. 
Further, the outside leader cannot go with the men when they 
leave the camp for another locality or overseas. At times, the 
men of the company are scattered; again they go as a unit. In 
any case, the man who has learned how to lead a group in one 
camp and has been filled with enthusiasm for this sort of work 
is more likely to help in another. At an embarkation camp, the 
secretary found a group under way, of which he had no knowledge. 
It was started by a soldier who had learned how to lead groups in 
one of the cantonments. Overseas there will be still less oppor- 
tunity for actual leadership of groups by secretaries and for super- 



110 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

vision of such classes. The men in squads or companies will stand 
together for certain ideals in proportion as they have been trained 
in America in such group comradeship. 

In the third place, secretaries favoring soldier leadership say 
that the soldier-led group is more largely an exchange of actual 
conviction than when the outside leader comes in. The outside 
leader, even though he be a secretary, represents the advice of the 
outside moral and religious forces to the company. The soldier 
leader is one of the group. There is genuine freedom. The con- 
victions reached are really the soldiers' convictions and are more 
likely to be permanent. 

The difficulties in using soldiers as leaders are very real. In 
one of the National Army Cantonments, the chaplains and secre- 
taries emphasized the following: First, the lack of men of ability 
and experience along this line ; second, the unwillingness of soldiers 
to undertake leadership in their own barracks because of fear of 
the other men; third, the serious interruptions to soldier leader- 
ship, due to military duties and changes in camp personnel ; and 
fourth, the failure of so many soldiers to make a success of such 
work. 

The question of military duty interfering has been solved 
in one building by assigning two or three leaders to each group. 
As to whether men of the right caliber and natural qualifications 
can be found, depends upon the personnel of the company. In 
general, each company in the National Army is made up of men 
from every walk of life and there usually will be found college 
men who have been trained in student conferences, teachers, for- 
mer Sunday school teachers, etc. The question as to whether 
they can make good in group leadership is one really of whether 
adequate, training is possible in view of the time element; and 
also whether men of ordinary ability can actually be trained to 
lead groups. This was thoroughly dealt with in Discussion VI. 



In general, the danger is that we should look for leaders ready 
to hand, instead of finding soldiers of leadership possibilities and 
then training them. The new National Army is not composed of 
ready-made soldiers. The Government is taking men from every 
walk of life and going to great lengths in training them. The 
governmental leaders are finding in this conglomerate National 
Army men of leadership possibilities. These are promoted as 
non-commissioned officers and many of them are being trained for 



CHOOSING THE GROUP LEADERS 111 

commissioned officers. Certainly as religious directors, we ought 
to be willing to take some pains in training up religious leadership 
in the new army; in short, a group of Christian leaders who can 
help lead in the Christian morale which is so important to the 
real character of the men and their effectiveness as soldiers when 
the crisis comes. Some leaders are ready to hand. They have 
been Bible class teachers of experience or have led in church or 
Christian Association work. But for the most part they must be 
discovered and trained. 



It is a question whether we do not need two types of Bible 
leadership. If systematic study classes on the Bible, intended for 
the more mature Christian men, are to be held in the building, these 
should be led by the chaplains, camp pastors, or secretaries. If a 
group discussion on moral and religious problems is being held in 
the barracks, possibly these can better be led by soldiers. We must 
remember the function of a discussion group leader as worked 
out in the conference under Discussion V. 



DISCUSSION VIII 
ORGANIZING DISCUSSION GROUPS 

Topics for Discussion 

Keep in mind the plan of a barrack or the arrangement of 
tents on the company street. (See page 113.) 

1. Shall we try to reach only the men who are Christians and 
interested, so as to maintain their Christian ideals, or shall 
we seek to reach the uninterested men and touch the life 
of the entire company? 

2. Shall we have one class to a company or make smaller 
divisions ? How large shall each group be ? 

3. If more than one class to a company, on what basis shall 
the division be made? By bunk rooms or tents (see illus- 
tration, page 113) ; or by arbitrary divisions of the alpha- 
bet, or platoons, or how? 

4. Where shall the groups meet? In the Association build- 
ing? In the mess hall? Or in the bunk rooms? 

5. When shall the groups meet ? Sunday morning after mess ? 
In the evening immediately after mess ? Later in the 
evening? 

6. What sort of an organization of the groups shall there be? 
What officers shall each group have? What shall be the 
relation of the discussion group to the company council 
or ''Comrades in Service"? 

7. How should the groups be organized ? By general an- 
nouncement in the mess hall ? By a meeting in the bar- 
racks after mess, called by the top sergeant ? By informal 
meetings in bunk rooms? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion IX, Supervising the Discussion Groups) 

1. How shall responsibility for the Y M C A ivork in the bar- 
racks be assigned? Shall a secretary look after the type of work 
for which he is specially responsible in all of the barracks, or 
shall each secretary supervise the entire Y M C A program in a 
few barracks or company streets ? 

112 




Brown Brothers, N. Y. 

Section of a National Guard Camp 
(Mess shacks with rows of tents on company streets.) 




(c) Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

A Cantonment Barrack 

(Lower Floor: Mess Room and Bunk Room; Upper Floor; Large 

Bunk Room in two sections.) 



114 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

2. What can a YMCA secretary do to insure the success 
of the discussion groups in the barracks for which he is re- 
sponsible? 

3. How would you use stories and illustrations in a discussion 
group? 

a. Select one of the outlines already prepared for teaching. 
Write briefly an incident which might be used to close 
the group hour and emphasize the main point of the 
lesson. 

b. Suggest several illustrations which might be used in con- 
nection with different points in the lesson. 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion IX, Supervising Discussion Groups) 

Home, "Story Telling, Questioning, and Studying": Chapter 
I, The Art of Story Telling. 

Weigle, "The Pupil and the Teacher" : Lesson XVII, Atten- 
tion and Apperception : Methods. 

Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach" : Chapter IV, The 
Formation of Habits. 

Notes on Organizing Discussion Groups 
(Discussion VIII) 

In general two methods of organization have been followed 
in the barracks. 

1. The first is the method of a general appeal with the aid of 
the top sergeant. In some cases the secretary messes that partic- 
ular evening with the company. During mess, the top sergeant 
blows his whistle, and gives the secretary an opportunity to an- 
nounce the Bible or discussion group and appeal to the men who 
wish to join to remain in the mess hall or gather in the adjoining 
bunk room at the close of the meal. To the men who stay the 
plan is explained more carefully; enrollment is taken; and some- 
times the class officers are elected. 

At other times the secretary comes to the barracks or com- 
pany street. He asks the help of the top sergeant, who urges the 
men to come to the mess hall for a meeting. Here to the men 
assembled, the secretary presents the Bible or discussion group 
plan; enrollment is taken; and the group formed. The latter plan 
is more feasible during the first two weeks the men are in camp 
when they are kept in quarantine. 



ORGANIZING DISCUSSION GROUPS 115 

The first advantage of this general method is the fact that 
it puts the top sergeant and other non-commissioned officers 
squarely back of the proposition. In the second place, it utilizes 
the company consciousness to the full. In the third place, it 
makes it possible to cover more barracks or tents in a shorter time 
than by any other method. 

The disadvantages are these : It is semi-official and therefore 
somewhat coercive in its character. It makes a general indis- 
criminate appeal and is likely to win only the more interested men. 
It leaves the YMCA secretary at the close of the organization 
in a rather official and formal relationship with the company, 
rather than one of frank comradeship with the men. The divi- 
sion into the smaller groups, which may become necessary if any 
proportion of the men in a company are enlisted in a discussion 
group, is more difficult. 

2. The second method is more informal and personal. The 
consent of the top sergeant is secured. He may even put himself 
on record by a public announcement in the mess hall. But with- 
out the sergeant's official call, the YMCA secretary goes directly 
to one of the three bunk rooms. (See illustration, page 8.) 
He may find conditions most unpropitious, but he announces what 
he has in mind and gathers a group about him. If two secretaries 
go together, as is preferable, one secretary can make the state- 
ment and the other can quietly be getting in touch with other 
men and leading them to join the group. Little by little the group 
grows until most of those in the bunk room gather. A half hour 
is taken in which to get really in touch with the men and complete 
the organization. He repeats the process in other bunk rooms. 

Usually as many men are secured from one bunk room as from 
the whole barracks in a more formal meeting. By this method 
the secretary is more likely to secure for his group the uninter- 
ested men and those who must be reached if the wrong practices 
in the barracks are to be eliminated. He is also able to find the 
natural leaders and ones who can really help form barrack morale. 
He can be sure that he has in his group not only sympathetic men 
but others who must be won. When he leaves the bunk room 
he is on terms of comradeship with the group. There has been 
no coercion. Any who wish to continue their games or conversa- 
tion are permitted .to do so. A friendly group were gathered 
around the secretary. 

This method is particularly effective among new men, where 
the secretary has been ministering to their human needs during the 



116 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

early days of detention, and where he has already come to be 
looked upon as their friend. One secretary with long experience 
who had passed through the detention period with several suc- 
cessive drafts of men, reported that he had never been able to get 
as close to the men or secure such helpful results with any other 
method as with this. 

The disadvantages are these : Its very informality makes a 
problem. The secretary takes a chance of having the bunk room 
prove to be unsympathetic and thus make it impossible to organize 
a group. He must already be on terms of friendship with the 
men in the barracks through the other ministrations of the 
Y M C A. It would not do to use this method as the first approach 
to the barracks. A greater length of time is required to complete 
the work of organization as compared to the barrack meeting. 

Where the men are living in tents the same method is fol- 
lowed by covering sections of the company street or groupings of 
tents and rallying the men to one tent. (See page 113.) 



The advantage of starting the Bible study or discussion group 
during the quarantine period should be considered. The Associa- 
tion has been ministering to the personal needs of the men. They 
are favorable to the organization. Further, these men are just 
making the readjustments from civilian life to army life. They 
probably need the help more than at any other time and are also 
more open-minded. 

In general, the secretaries in army cantonments are satisfied 
if they can secure one Bible discussion group to a company. They 
have said that this was reaching a pretty large ideal and that to 
attempt to start more than one to a company made the problem 
of securing leaders and supervising the groups too serious. When 
the group of secretaries in one of the army cantonments faced the 
whole camp problem in discussion groups for several days to- 
gether, they came to the conviction that more than one group to a 
company would necessarily be started if we were to maintain 
discussion groups and affect the barrack morale. This conclusion 
was based on these considerations : In any group of more than 
twenty-five it is almost impossible to carry on as a real discussion 
of an informal and frank character. Even if each person took 
only a part of a minute, there would not be time for all to take 
part. The very size of the group prevents the frank interchange 



ORGANIZING DISCUSSION GROUPS 117 

of conviction and experience if the group becomes larger. But 
twenty-five from a company of 200 to 250 men form too small a 
proportion to be a genuine factor in the life of the company. Also 
this will usually include only the more interested men. But if 
we work for a larger class, and secure a reasonable proportion 
of the company, say 75 or 80 or 100, then the class becomes so 
large that it is merely a barrack meeting and discussion is im- 
possible. We are forced, therefore, to face one of three possi- 
bilities : a small, rather uninfluential group; or a large lecture 
class ; or several discussion groups to each company. 

Several have suggested division on the basis of personal 
selection ; others automatically by the alphabet. The most feasible 
method seems to be by sections of the barrack. As already seen, 
the average barrack divides naturally into two sections on the 
second floor and one on the first floor. If divisions are made, it 
seems easiest to do it by these bunk rooms. When the men live 
in tents, this would be by grouping of tents on the company street. 
(See illustrations, pages 8 and 113.) 

sfc a|x sfe a|c 3|b 

Where to meet is the next question. Some say the Association 
building, because the atmosphere is better and there is chance for 
more quiet. Others say, no, you can't get the men who most need 
the Bible study to come to the building for such groups. 

Some say, the mess hall. Men must come voluntarily from 
their bunk rooms, and there is thus less impression of coercion. 
This is away from the confusion of the bunk room. Others say, 
no, it is too formal. It is as noisy as the bunk room. The men 
stick to their bunk rooms and it is more difficult to get them to 
come to the mess hall. (See illustration, page 8.) 

Others say, in the bunk room in the barracks or the tent on the 
company street. It is more informal, it is easier for the men to 
attend. It affects the bunk room atmosphere and barrack life more 
effectively because it gathers the men together right where they 
have to live and where the movements for wrong doing are in evi- 
dence. Others say, no, you often have to work in opposition to 
noise and swearing. You are in danger of seeming to force your- 
self upon the men by going right into the bunk room or tent. 

In deciding when to meet, several factors are to be considered. 
The new time in the summer makes eight o'clock in the summer 
a more difficult time than in the winter. Right after mess, either 



118 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

noon or evening, is the hour when you are most likely to find the 
men together, but recreation in the spring and summer and fall 
months conflicts. Sunday finds so many men out of camp, that 
it is avoided in some centers, while in others it is considered, in 
spite of this, the best time. 

There is no ideal best time. In the light of the situation in 
your camp, think through the hour with the fewest difficulties. 



Just zvhat and hoiv many officers arc necessary to make the 
group a success? The simpler the organization the better. Some 
camps feel that a president or booster, someone who is responsible 
for seeing that the group meetings are held and the absentees are 
followed up, is all the officer that is needed. 

The relation of the discussion group to the company council 
or "Comrades in Service" will need to be determined. Frequently 
the company council grows out of the discussion group. Again, 
the discussion group becomes the meeting of the company council. 



In all plans for barrack religious activities, and indeed in the 
entire religious work program, the Association Secretary should 
work in close cooperation with the chaplain. The Association 
work is autonomous, and is carried on in the army camps by 
authorization of the government. But to prevent duplication if 
not competition, and to insure efficiency in religious work, the 
Association will need not only to keep the chaplains apprised 
of all plans, but also to work them over with these officers in 
process of formation. This is needed first, in order to secure their 
constructive suggestions, and second, in order that there may be 
a single program in religious work. The Association in turn will 
of course wish to cooperate with the chaplains in every way 
possible in carrying out their plans for the religious work in the 
regiment and in rendering effective both their public and personal 
ministration to the troops. 

Particularly should the chaplains be in thorough cooperation 
in barrack discussion group program since it is so closely related 
to the morale and morals of the regiment. The importance of 
this is seen when we remember that in many cases the regiment 
will go as a unit and the chaplain will be with the men as they 
leave the camp to go overseas. 



DISCUSSION IX 
SUPERVISING DISCUSSION GROUPS 

Topics for Discussion 

1. How many barracks or tents are served by an Army Asso- 
ciation building? (See frontispiece.) 

2. How shall responsibility for the Association program in 
these barracks or tents be assigned? By each secretary in a 
building being responsible for his particular line of activity in 
all the barracks or tents, or by dividing the barracks, so that each 
secretary will represent the all-round Y M C A program in a few 
barracks or tents? 

3. What should be the relation of the Camp and Building 
Religious Work Secretary to the religious work program in the 
barracks? 

4. What should be the relation of the barrack program to 
the chaplain of the regiment? 

5. What are the chief obstacles in the way of successful 
discussion groups in the barracks or tents? What can the 
Y M C A secretary do to overcome these ? 

6. What can the secretary responsible do to secure and train 
discussion group leaders ? to insure that the groups meet regularly ? 
to make them interesting and helpful? to keep up the attendance? 
to relate the discussion groups to the activities of the barracks? 

7. How can a building staff be organized so as to make pos- 
sible adequate care for the Association building and a barrack or 
tent program? 

Assignment for Next Conference 

(Discussion X, The Objective of the Discussion Group) 

1. Examine quickly the follozving study books: 

Bosworth, "About Jesus," 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit," 
Super-Urice, "Jesus as a Friend Saw Him," 
Fosdick, "The Manhood of the Master." 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way." 

What is the purpose of each ? For whom was it planned ? Which 
would you choose for a soldiers' discussion group? Why? 

119 



120 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

2. Select one of the books and read through the first eight 
chapters quickly. Which lesson would you choose for use in a 
soldiers' group? Why? 

3. How much of personal Bible reading and preparation can 
be secured from the soldiers? Select any study you wish. How 
would you assign a new lesson so as to secure such preparation 
on the part of the men? 

Reading References for Next Conference 

(Discussion X, The Objective of the Discussion Group) 
Moore, "What Is Education?" Chapter I, What Is Education; 
Chapter III, The Doctrine of General Discipline ; Chapter 
V, The Kinds of Education. 
Strayer-Norsworthy, "How to Teach" : Chapter XII, Trans- 
fer of Training. 
Coe, "A Social Theory of Religious Education" : Chapter IX, 
A New Theory of the Curriculum. 

Notes on Supervising the Discussion Groups 

In supervising Association activities in the barracks, two 
general methods have been followed by the secretaries. 

1. The Religions Work, Educational, Physical, or Recreational 
Secretary has been responsible for his particular line of work in 
all of the barracks or tents served by the unit. Those favoring 
this plan say that this method brings to the organization and 
promotion of any particular line of activity the man best skilled 
on the staff in that particular line of work. The Religious Work 
Secretary, for instance, should be able to promote the religious 
work program, because of his experience and training, more 
effectively than a recreational man, and vice versa. Further, they 
claim that it is easier to build up a staff on a specialized basis 
than to get men who can do the all-round work. 

Those doubtful about this method mention the following diffi- 
culties : First, the officers and top sergeants are seen by four 
different men, each representing a different angle of the Asso- 
ciation program. These officers cannot understand why they should 
be bothered by so many different persons and why so many differ- 
ent secretaries should be running into their barracks. Second, in 
covering so many barracks or tents, it is impossible to get inti- 
mately acquainted with the men or the problems in any one bar- 
rack or company street. Consequently the program must be more 



SUPERVISING DISCUSSION GROUPS 121 

general than specific. Third, they say it is physically uneconom- 
ical. It duplicates effort. 

2. The second method is to make each secretary have a double 
responsibility: First, for the policy and general supervision in the 
entire unit for his particular line of activity; second, definite re- 
sponsibility for the promotion of the all-round program of the 
Association in a proportionate number of barracks or tents. This 
would mean, for instance, that the other secretaries would act as 
helpers to the Educational Secretary in carrying out the educa- 
tional program, each in his barracks, while the Educational Secre- 
tary in turn would be responsible not only for the general policy 
in the educational work, but also for the promotion of the entire 
activity of the Association in the barracks assigned to him. The 
daily staff meeting would then become a clearing-house for plans. 
Sometimes the entire staff meeting would be given to one kind of 
work. The work for the unit would be so organized that the re- 
ligious, educational, and other activities would be initiated in the 
proper sequence and in relation one to the other and the supervision 
carried on cooperatively. 

Those doubtful about the plan mention these difficulties : It 
necessitates men as Y M C A secretaries who can promote the all- 
round program, whereas in most of the camps the staff has been 
built up without regard to barrack or tent work and on a purely 
specialized basis. The Physical Secretary, for instance, under- 
stood that he would be responsible only for the physical program. 
Further, the various specializing men, such as educational, physical, 
etc., would prefer to do the work themselves rather than to trust 
their program to the other secretaries untrained in their particular 
line or to take the trouble to coach these other men. 

Those favoring the plan mention these advantages : One man 
represents the Y M C A in the barracks for officers, non-commis- 
sioned officers, and men. They come to know him as the "Y" 
secretary. If he has ministered to these men during the first two 
weeks of detention and has really gotten into the life of the bar- 
racks, he has come to be their friend. He comes to know the 
men rather intimately in the -few barracks for which he is re- 
sponsible. He is able to carry on personal work on a friendship 
basis rather than indiscriminately and to win the cooperation of 
the officers and key men. They also say that this method is eco- 
nomical of time. When he is becoming acquainted with the men 
and hunting for leaders for recreational work, he can also be 
looking for leaders for Bible study and educational classes. He 



122 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

can so organize his supervision that he can check on English 
classes and Bible classes in the same barracks on the same evening. 
It makes a compassable program and one directly related to a 
company Y M C A or barrack program, carried on by the men 
themselves. They further remind us that, while thinking through 
the problems and forming the plans may require a technical ex- 
pert, at least on every camp executive staff, the organization of 
any of our lines of Association activities, with a possible exception 
of the physical work, is easily within the range of any men of good 
executive and general ability. With the increasing emphasis upon 
group play rather than expert physical training, many would not 
make an exception even of the physical work. 

How can the supervising secretary ensure the success of the 
groups? 

Here are some suggestions : 

First, he will discover the leaders for these groups and see 
that they attend the leaders' training class. 

Second, he will visit the classes and help make them a success. 
The supervising secretary needs to learn the advantage of foster- 
ing a class rather than leading it himself. For instance, suppose 
a secretary is responsible for four barracks, Companies F, G, H, 
and I, with discussion groups as follows : 

Company F, 2 groups 

Company G, 2 groups 

Company H, 3 groups 

Company I, 1 group 
He has these groups arranged so that the four groups in Companies 
F and G meet on one night, and the four in Companies H and I 
another night. These are two of the nights he is spending in the 
barracks. The first group in Company F has a leader on whom 
he can depend. He visits this group only casually, dropping in to 
give it a word of cheer. The second group in Company F has a 
leader who is all right when you get him started, but he is rather 
unreliable and lacking in nerve. The secretary visits the bunk 
room where this group is to meet, helps the leader get his group 
together, takes his place as a member for a few minutes, cooper- 
ates with the leader by questions or comments in getting the group 
thoroughly under way, and just as soon as the discussion is really 
going, he drops out quietly. The first group in Company G has a 
good prospect who is not yet a leader. The secretary opens the 



SUPERVISING DISCUSSION GROUPS 123 

discussion, gets one or two good questions, on which there is gen- 
uine debate, and then asks this prospective leader to preside, and 
while the discussion is on, he slips away. For the second group 
in Company G he has not been able to find a soldier leader. 
Therefore he leads this group himself, but throws a good deal of 
the responsibility on two soldiers who are possibilities for leaders. 
These he has made assistant leaders and is bringing them to the 
normal training class. In this way, the supervising secretary, by 
spending five minutes with the first group, ten or fifteen with the 
second, twenty with the third and thirty minutes with the fourth, 
could cover four groups in an evening, as well as check on some 
English classes and see that some recreation was under way. But 
he must learn the art of helping boost the group from the side 
lines instead of leading it himself. Making the soldier the chair- 
man, even when he as Y M C A secretary has to do a great deal 
of the leading, more quickly brings the soldier to a place of confi- 
dence than if the secretary takes the chairmanship direct. 

Third, the secretary can counsel with the leaders. If one of 
his leaders is having difficulty in preparing his study, he will take 
time to go over the lesson carefully with him and help him learn 
how to prepare. He will give freely suggestions and counsel 
on the conduct of the group he visits. 

Fourth, the secretary will help in conserving the results of 
the discussion groups. He will bring inspiration to the inner 
circle of men in each company on whom the work for Christian 
morale in the barracks must fall. He will himself quietly keep 
in touch with the key men of each group. 

Hozc can this supervision of the work in the barracks and the 
program in the building be carried on at the same time? From 
six to nine each evening is the big opportunity for barrack or tent 
work. This is the busy time in the building. With the desk 
crowded, movie to be run, lecturers to be introduced, social features 
to be looked after, how can men be spared from the building or 
tent program? 

It has been suggested that some rearrangement of the staff 
assignments is necessary. The desk and building duties will be 
arranged so that each night certain of the staff will be handling 
the building, certain doing their barrack work. Each secretary 
on the staff should have three nights a week in the barracks. At 
least two is positively necessary. An even greater rearrangement 



124 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

of the building staff has been suggested ; viz. that one or two men 
be put on the staff as building utility men. These would be on 
duty every evening, except Saturday and Sunday, and take their 
time off during the days when the building and barrack program 
is light. 

Each evening one or two regular secretaries would be re- 
sponsible for the building to take advantage of the personal con- 
tact at the desk and the various opportunities that the building 
offers. The utility men could be used for the extra rush at the 
desk, to help on the movies, to introduce educational lecturers, and 
in a dozen other ways. This would free two to four men each 
evening, except Saturday and Sunday, for barrack work. 

Second, it has also been suggested that the work in the bar- 
racks be grouped. For instance, have a secretary who is responsi- 
ble for the barracks of Companies A, B, C, D, and E, see to it 
that the educational classes, discussion groups and recreative fea- 
tures are carried on in his barracks or tents on two or three 
nights in the week. When he is checking on recreation, he can 
also look after Bible classes and English classes. In short, he 
will be spending his time two or three nights a week supervising 
the all-round work of the Association in these barracks or tents 
for which he is responsible. As these barracks are adjoining, this 
will be physically possible and will give him a chance to take his 
share of responsibility in the building. 



DISCUSSION X 
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DISCUSSION GROUP 
Topics for Discussion 

1. What shall be made the basis for discussion in the groups? 

a. What are the advantages of using a Testament direct 
without helps? 

b. Why are discussion group books provided by the War 
Work Council ? 

c. Take the books available, such as 

Bosworth, "About Jesus" 
Super-Urice, "Jesus as a Friend Saw Him" 
Fosdick, "The Manhood of the Master" 
Stewart, "The Soldier's Spirit" 
Bosworth-Lobingier, "The Master's Way." 
Describe each book briefly. Judging by the contents, 
for whom was each book planned? What is the pur- 
pose of each ? Which are planned for systematic study 
of Jesus' life ? Which to face soldiers' problems in the 
light of the Bible? Which for direct problem discussion 
with biblical material incidentally? Which book do you 
think most suitable to meet soldiers' needs? Why? 
What are your criticisms and suggestions ? 

d. Take any book you prefer : Which of the first eight 
lessons would you choose for a soldier group you have 
in mind ? Why do you think this is suitable material ? 

e. What is the purpose of a Bible study book or outline ? 

f. How can Jesus' life and teaching best be made helpful 
to a soldier in a discussion group? 

2. What can be done to secure personal preparation by the 
men? 

a. What can be done to help men observe daily reading 
of the Testament and prayer? 

b. What are the characteristics of a good study assign- 
ment? How will this help? 

c. What can the leader do by personal influence ? What 
can the Y M C A secretary do ? 

125 



126 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

3. What results may be expected from the discussion groups ? 

a. What are the personal work possibilities? 

b. How can the members of a discussion group make their 
convictions dominant in the life of the barracks and of 
the company or battery? 

4. What is the goal of the discussion group program? 

5. Summarize the essentials of a discussion group program. 

Notes on The Objective of the Discussion Group 

(Discussion X) 

Why use a discussion group guide or study outline ? It is per- 
fectly possible for each camp or secretary to work out a new out- 
line, or for the groups to use the Testament without any guiding 
book. The study outline, however, brings to the help of the secre- 
tary and the leader of the group the results of the best experience 
of the nation in Bible discussion work, especially in army camps. 
It is in no sense a substitute for the use of the Bible, simply a 
guide to it. Rather than have each group work as if it had come 
to the problem for the first time, may it not be better to take 
advantage of these study outlines? 

4e sfc $ $ $ 

In choosing a study book, the same method should be fol- 
lowed as in the preparation of a teaching outline. 

First, know the needs and problems of the men. Second, decide 
the purpose you wish accomplished. Third, choose the study book 
which will best meet the needs and conserve the purpose. 

This is the necessary process in the preparation of the study 
book itself. In general, books are written with a definite purpose 
and for a definite group of people. It is absolutely necessary that 
the material which is under discussion shall be vital to the group; 
that the topics for discussion, the Scripture used, the questions 
which are asked for group discussion shall deal with vital issues 
and real needs. A group of hard-headed Hebrews engulfed in the 
business life of New York, found difficulty in discussing apocalyp- 
tic Revelation. It did not touch their problems. It was foreign to 
their life. But a discussion on the principles underlying modern 
business and whether the ideals of the Bible concerning money 
could be followed, would have resulted in an earnest discussion. 

People differ in problems and needs. The Bible is the record 
of a wide range of experience. It is not enough to open it any- 
where and study it. Some parts are less suited to a soldier group 



THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DISCUSSION GROUP 127 

than others. Since the Bible is so rich in material definitely of 
interest and help to the soldier, will it not be better to guide him 
toward the reading and discussion of those parts, rather than 
to let him read at random in its pages ? 

s$: $ 3$: afc afe 

A Bible study book should be of definite help to the soldier in 
his personal Bible reading. The average man unfortunately has 
not learned how to read the Bible. He gets too little out of it 
when he reads it without guidance. He comes to the reading either 
as if these incidents took place in another world entirely unrelated 
to our modern life, or else as if the Bible were a collection of 
individual texts which would be of value. The truth is, the Bible 
is the record of the life experience of real men and women facing 
personal needs and the history of great peoples and nations with 
deep social and political problems. 

More than this, the meaning is so thoroughly dependent upon 
the historical setting of the particular book that the soldier needs 
the historical background, in order to gain a full understanding of 
the biblical material. For instance, how much more real and help- 
ful is the record of Jesus' temptations when we know the Messianic 
background and the national ambitions of the Jews, and can sense 
the genuine appeal of the possible courses of action which were 
before Jesus. How much more the Bible means to the troubled 
life of today if it is studied in relation both to the significance of 
those biblical characters to their day and the meaning of those 
great events to the life of today. 

# * * * # 

The personal Bible reading of the soldiers and their attendance 
at the discussion group will be helped by a proper assignment of 
the new study. This ought to form an important part of each 
group meeting. 

A good lesson assignment arouses interest and focuses atten- 
tion on a definite problem. The one ensures the other. If the 
soldier sees that something of interest to him is in the reading 
and is to be discussed at the next meeting, he is more likely to 
prepare personally and to come to the next group session. If you 
say at the close of the hour, "we will take up the next lesson 
when the group meets again," there is nothing in the new lesson 
assignment which captures the interest and attention of the sol- 
dier. But if instead you leave with him a definite problem or ques- 
tion, then he realizes that something worth while will be discussed 



128 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

at the next group meeting. For instance, "At the next session 
we will take up, 'How far must a soldier give up his home stand- 
ards in order to be a good fighting man?' or, "Can a man be a 
Christian and a good fighting soldier at the same time?' or, 'In 
what ways does cussing help a soldier; in what ways does it hin- 
der?'; 'What should a soldier do about cussing?'" 



The real test of the discussion group is what arises in the 
lives of the group members and in the life of the barracks. A 
group may become not only an association of persons who come 
together to discuss questions, but also a nucleus of soldiers work- 
ing together for the highest ideals of the barracks. For instance, 
if the men in the discussion group become really in earnest in 
regard to the war as a great crusade and feel the company spirit 
should be increased, they can lay plans in the group for strengthen- 
ing the company morale, and actually organize for this purpose. 
Subsequent group meetings would check up on the progress and 
be given to exchange of experience. If the members of the group 
become convinced that cussing lessens rather than helps fighting 
ability and is a disgrace to the company, they can formulate plans 
in the discussion groups for its elimination from the barracks. 
Thus the discussion group will become more and more a confer- 
ence of men who are working on actual Christian enterprises in 
the company and the discussions will give much attention to these 
plans and problems. 

Some of the recent developments in general education are of 
distinct service in planning a Bible or discussion group program. 
The reading references have covered considerable general educa- 
tional material. 

Every member of the conference will recall that the aim for 
education emphasized in his boyhood was the training of the 
mind. Whether a particular subject had practical value did not 
make so much difference, provided the study of the subject fur- 
nished mental discipline. This method of education assumed that 
the mind could be trained and developed through mental discipline 
somewhat as the muscles are strengthened by exercise. A course 
of study to give all-round development, it was suggested, must 
have language, mathematics, and science, so as to furnish dis- 
cipline for every type of faculty. What difference that Latin, 
once of first practical value in daily affairs, was no longer thus 



THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DISCUSSION GROUP 129 

of service ? Good mental discipline resulted from its study. What 
difference that the student would not have any use for the higher 
mathematics? His mind would be developed by the study of these 
difficult mathematical processes. The corollary to these claims 
for mental discipline was the conviction that general faculties of 
the mind, such as the intellect, the emotions, the will could be 
developed. 

Thorough experiments in psychology have demonstrated that 
the principle of faculty psychology and mental discipline is based 
on an erroneous conception of how the mind works. Physiologi- 
cally, life is made up of stimuli and responses. When a given 
stimulus comes from the outside, any one of a number of responses 
might be made. The nervous system is made up of millions of 
receiving and responding nerves. These are bound together in 
infinitesimal bundles, as the telephone cables are formed of many 
individual wires. Roughly speaking, the transferring centers in 
the brain or spinal cord may be likened to the switchboard. This 
is where the transfer is made. As the call comes in through the 
stimulus, the response may be sent back along any one of a thou- 
sand wires according to the action in these centers. Through 
specific training skill is developed, so that a definite sort of a 
response may be secured. Thus in habit we have become so ac- 
customed to responding in a certain way that when a certain 
stimulus comes, the response is automatically returned. It is pos- 
sible in meeting new situations to think carefully and act on 
definite judgment. Again, roughly, the illustration can come from 
the switchboard, where automatically the operator plugs in for 
calls which she knows, but must take time for recollection when 
new numbers are added or a new combination comes. 

Professor James calls it the brain path theory and uses the 
illustration of the path worn by repeated practice or training until 
it becomes easy for the response to flow along this path. 

The psychological experiments seem to have proven beyond 
question that there is very little transfer of training from one line 
to another. For instance, there is no such thing as the general 
faculty of neatness, which can be depended upon in all depart- 
ments of life. Because a person is neat in writing, it does not 
follow that he will be neat in keeping his room or neat about his 
attire. There is no such thing as general memory training. Be- 
cause a waiter in a hotel can remember the elaborate order given 
by a half dozen guests, it does not follow that his memory would 
be good in recalling historical facts. In short, while some generali- 



130 THE LEADERSHIP OF RED TRIANGLE GROUPS 

zation is possible, skill along any particular line is secured largely 
through specific training and only to a limited extent is skill in one 
line transferred to another. 

Present-day educational leaders insist that the purpose of 
education is not to train the mind, not to develop general faculties. 
It is to help boys and girls and men and women to live efficiently 
and well in the multitudinous situations in which they find them- 
selves. Upon the realm of morals and religion the results of these 
experiments have direct bearing. There is no general moral or 
religious faculty which can be trained. We have assumed that this 
was possible and therefore have given general religious training, 
with the hope that, when the specific difficulty arose, the boy or 
girl or man or woman would apply this general training to the 
specific situation. Is not this the explanation of the anomaly that 
many a man who has been unerringly faithful at religious services 
could also be counted on to drive the hardest bargains in business 
during the week ? The church he attended had divorced ethics and 
religion; had given large attention to worship, but had not allied 
this service of prayer and praise with the weekly problems and the 
daily practice. As Sunday school lessons and sermons have come 
more and more to deal with the specific meaning of biblical truth 
in relation to daily life, the Bible and Christianity itself have come 
to have added power. 

These conclusions have direct bearing upon the curricula both 
in general and religious education. General knowledge is not the 
goal of education; it is rather facts related to actual life-needs, 
and specific skill in meeting various life-situations. Educational 
leaders are asking for less work on arithmetical processes which 
will never be used and more definite practice upon those everyday 
parts of arithmetic which must be constantly used in life by many 
people. They are asking for less attention to learning how to spell 
lists of words and more practice in the use of these words in actual 
sentences. They are asking for less emphasis upon isolated facts in 
history and more appreciation of the meaning of the past in rela- 
tion to the problems of the present. They are desiring less practice 
in drawing for the average person who will never be a mechanical 
engineer or an artist, and more attention to the development of the 
appreciation of art in order that daily life may be enriched. 

In Bible study this changes the entire basis. The uniform 
lessons assumed that all parts of the Bible were equally valuable 
and all that was necessary was to simplify the language for chil- 
dren as compared with adults. The graded lessons recognize that 



THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DISCUSSION GROUP 131 

people differ in religious problems from early childhood to adult 
life, and also that the Bible itself, as already noted, gives the 
record of a great range of experiences. Therefore the graded 
lessons seek to know the needs of boys and girls and men and 
women and to focus attention upon those sections of the Bible 
which are most useful in the various periods. This means less 
emphasis upon the mere facts of the Bible and more understanding 
of the significance of these former religious leaders in relation to 
the problems of modern life. The Bible is the record of how men, 
under the guidance of God, met great, difficult, moral, social, and 
political situations. Moses, the Prophets, Jesus, Paul — these were 
men who faced situations, perhaps not as complex, but certainly 
as typical and as difficult as those of the moral and religious lead- 
ers of today. Some parts of the Bible fail to capture the interest 
of the average man. The reason is plain. The records in these 
parts of the Bible are of issues no longer vital. For instance, 
certain of Paul's letters deal with questions in connection with 
those early churches teeming with importance then, but no longer 
issues of moment. For a complete background of the Bible, the 
entire material needs to be covered at some time, but for the 
average boy and girl and man and woman, the major attention 
will be focused upon these significant parts. No adult can study 
the Psalms with their expression of the heart throbs of all the 
ages ; no person can follow the Prophets, those great social, po- 
litical and religious reformers, who were seeking to bring in 
justice in the world; no person can study Jesus' sacrificial guid- 
ance of his people and the world in the greater ideals of brother- 
hood and greater possibilities of relation to God; no one can study 
the religious statesmanship of the heroic Paul — without gaining 
fresh hope and new guidance for meeting the same age-long 
problems as they bear in upon us in the difficult life of today. 
Thus Bible study must have for its aim not general knowledge, 
not the training of a general moral and religious faculty; but 
specific guidance of men in facing their present-day life situations 
in the light of the experiences and the ideals of these great re- 
ligious leaders of the past. Such study enables men to enter into 
comradeship with these great men of the Bible as God has guided 
their lives, and brings to the earnest student a growing, vital ex- 
perience in daily life of the presence and power of God, through 
Jesus Christ. 




















































































































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